Hardest of Hearts
by MonkeeGirl97
Summary: After being separated for 13 years, Ray's daughter comes to New York for a visit. Just like her father, she's intrigued by the supernatural, but has a dark past linked to it. When a bust goes wrong, will the threat of being sent away from a life of adventure with her dad tear her even farther apart from him or is there a chance they will rekindle the relationship they once had?
1. Prologue

**I thought it only fitting to start my new story on what would have been Harold Ramis' 73rd birthday. :)**

 **Just wanted to clear things up before I start! This first chapter is like a little prequel, showing the past. The next chapter will go 13 years into the future, past the events of the two Ghostbusters movies and possibly the Wii game. Had to figure in the age of Ray's daughter in relation to his Ghostbusters career and whatnot. So...hope this helps! :)**

"Can ghosts hurt people?"

Ray Stantz sat next to his young daughter's bed, a smile on his face as he listened to her babble to him about his favorite subject.

"Uh…well so far it doesn't seem that way. Ghosts are just…people who have passed on from this level of living and entered another plane."

"I saw one again today, Daddy."

"Was it your friend, Mr. Edward again?" Ray asked gently. She shook her head, her small brown curls tickling her face as she did so. Her round baby face scrunched up thoughtfully as she tried to put her thoughts to words.

"No…Mr. Edward wasn't here this afternoon. This one was a…uh…what was that big word you used before?"

"Which one? I use a lot of big words." Ray said patiently. He glanced at his books and papers he had set on the desk next to her bed. Over the few years he had been working at the university, he had brought a lot of his paranormal research home with him and his daughter had become fascinated with it, despite her young age.

"It was in that one-" She said, pointing at a large blue binder in the middle of his stack of books. He raised an eyebrow in amusement as he flipped through the pages of his personal research book.

"A poltergeist?" He guessed after a few seconds. She shook her head.

"No…this one was screaming at me. I don't know what she said…" She said. Ray's amusement faltered as he flipped through another few pages of his book.

"Screaming at you? Why would anyone want to scream at you, Nikki?" He asked. She shrugged and Ray stopped as he found a page with a large picture on it. She crawled over to the side of her bed and peered at the book in Ray's hands.

"That's what it looked like!" She exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the picture. Ray frowned.

"A…A banshee?" He said. She grinned and looked at the picture once more.

"She had a long flowy dress on and it looked really pretty. When I told her that, she just started screaming. I covered my ears but I could still hear it!" She insisted. There was no fear in her little face as she stared at her father for answers.

"Banshees tend to appear as a warning…" Ray said slowly. "What were you doing when you saw it, Nikki?"

"I was playing in the living room with Alice. We were playing with my dollhouse." She said simply. She tilted her head towards the window across her room. She stared briefly at something there and Ray carefully turned to glance at the empty wall.

"Did Alice see the ghost?" Ray asked, directing his daughter's attention back to him. She blinked slowly and turned to look up at him curiously.

"No…Mommy came out of the kitchen and told me to pick up my toys. Alice blamed me for throwing them on the floor, but I didn't. I'm really careful with my babies…" She said as she snuggled back underneath the blankets, pulling her dolls and stuffed animals closer to her. Ray nodded and smiled down at her. He set the book aside.

"I know you are, sweetheart." He said as he stood and tucked the blankets around her. He slipped a small teddy bear under the covers next to her and she hugged the stuffed animal lovingly.

"Can you read me some of your notes again?" She asked before he could tell her goodnight. He looked at her small, pleading face and sighed as he sat back in his chair and picked up another of the many ghost story books he had been researching.

"Well…your Uncle Egon got me this a few weeks ago. We're starting to look into old rituals and what a lot of people call magic."

"Not the good kind of magic though, right?" Nikki asked sleepily. Ray smiled and shook his head.

"No…not like your fairy tales and princess stories." He said. She smiled, slightly intrigued. "There's one story that I've been looking at recently where a group of people would meet every full moon in a secret place and they would practice a type of magic that they believed would make them live forever. The longer it went on, the more followers they gathered. Then after a while, one of the younger followers they acquired ended up tipping off the police one night before their meeting, and their meetings were put to an end. It was never really found out what exactly happened. There were no bodies, no arrests, just…nothing. Egon's got some theories though, and I think Peter is planning…"

Ray stopped as he glanced up to see that Nikki had fallen asleep, like he knew she would. He smiled as he quietly shut his book and gathered up his papers. It was a nightly ritual; he would tell her about what findings he, Egon and Peter had gathered at the university each day and she would tell him about her daily adventures. That would eventually lead up to her begging him to read to her, and no matter how interesting the subject he was reading, she would always drift off to sleep.

Ray stood and leaned over to plant a kiss on her forehead. She sighed contentedly and hugged her bear closer towards her. Ray smiled and turned to pick up his books and papers and reached over to turn off her lamp.

"…Don't forget…to say goodnight to Mr. Edward, Daddy." Nikki said sleepily. Ray smiled and turned back to the window in the empty corner of her room.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." He said as he turned back to her, smoothing her hair down.

He switched off the lamp and then headed quietly out of her room. As he shut the door silently behind him, he was unsurprised to see his wife, Meredith waiting against the opposite wall of the hallway for him.

"Didn't seem to take as long tonight." He said softly, with a smile. She smirked as she hesitantly touched his hand.

"Ray…I've been meaning to talk to you…" She said. Ray's smile fell only slightly.

"What's wrong?" He asked seriously. She bit her lip and lowered her face to the carpeted floor at their feet.

"I just…I don't think it…" She started. She grew silent for a second before finally speaking again. "Nicole is starting school in a little less than a month. I'm…afraid the other kids are going to make fun of her."

"Why would they make fun of her? Because she's already started learning when a lot of them haven't?" Ray asked defensively. Meredith rolled her eyes.

"What you're teaching her isn't normal educational material, Ray." She muttered as she gestured towards his books. Ray blinked, taken aback.

"She's begged me to share my work with her. Ever since she learned to talk, we've been conversing about ghosts and haunted places together. She loves it, why wouldn't I want to share that with her?"

"Ray, talking about it is one thing, but I'm scared that she really believes in this stuff. She claims that she sees ghosts in the apartment all of the time. Do you know how spooky that is, seeing her talk to something that's not there?" She said. Ray shrugged.

"I mean, that's what I've been investigating for years, Meredith…" He said. "Besides…isn't that a normal childhood experience, having imaginary friends?"

"No Ray, it isn't. And she doesn't refer to them as 'imaginary friends' she specifically calls them 'ghosts.'"

"Some people believe that children are more tuned in than adults are to the supernatural-"

"Ray." Meredith stopped him quietly. She was staring at him pleadingly. "I'm worried about what other kids will think."

"She said that your friend Heather brought her daughter, Alice today. Does Nikki not get along with her okay?" Ray tried to reason. Meredith shook her head.

"I heard her tell you about that 'banshee' incident. Ray, when I walked out of the kitchen, Nikki was on the ground with her ears covered and poor Alice ran crying to me begging to go home. Nikki's toys were all over the living room like she'd thrown a temper tantrum." Meredith shook her head. "This ghost business has just gone too far."

"Well, maybe I need to call Pete and Egon. If this really happened, we need to look into it. We can-"

"No…I think…I think I'm going to take Nikki down to Mom's. Maybe once she adjusts, she can start elementary school down there." She said quietly. Ray's heart skipped a beat.

"You're…you're talking about taking her all the way down to Virginia? Meredith…you can't." He whispered. Meredith's eyes were full of sadness as she turned away from him.

"I talked to Mom about it a few days ago. I made plans to fly down there in three weeks." She said simply. Ray lowered his gaze to the books in front of him. His hands tightened around the stack as he nodded, accepting that Meredith had already made up her mind.

"What am I going to tell Nikki? She's…she's gonna be heartbroken." Ray said, his voice strangely calm. Meredith shook her head as she turned back to him.

"I won't tell her. We'll go, saying it's just temporary. That way you won't have to deal with how she'll take the news when she does find out." Meredith said. Ray's heart fell even further.

"If…that's what you think is best for her." Ray said sadly. Meredith leaned over and kissed him gently on his cheek.

"It is. I just want her to have a normal life. And she can't do that when you're scaring her with stories about ghosts and banshees and whatever else you're devoting your life to."


	2. Nikki's Arrival

**Let me know if this starts off a little strange...I try to read it over a few times after typing it up the first time but I tend to let my excitement get the best of me so I might have skipped over a few errors. Let me know your thoughts and whatever questions you may have...I'd greatly appreciate it! Happy Thanksgiving! :)**

"When did you say she was supposed to get here?" Peter Venkman asked, watching as Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler were hard at work in the lab of the upstairs firehouse that served as the Ghostbusters headquarters.

"She called from the airport about an hour ago. It shouldn't be long now." Ray replied. He leaned over the proton pack that he and Egon were repairing from the last bust they had finished. Ray carefully removed some of the tattered wiring with a pair of pliers, and then Egon moved to replace it and began bolting down the damaged side of the pack.

"I think that should hold it for now. At least until I decide to update the packs again." Egon said lightheartedly as he finished. Ray took off the safety goggles he had been wearing and tossed them to the desk. He wiped his brow, unknowingly streaking his forehead with grease.

"Why is your daughter all of a sudden coming up here for a visit? I mean, you told us that you haven't seen her for over ten years now." Winston Zeddemore asked as he entered the lab. Ray smiled halfheartedly as he clicked the pliers in his hands nervously.

"Well, Meredith finally remarried. While she's on her honeymoon, I said I'd watch Nikki."

"Gosh, how old is the Little Stantz now? She was barely talking when we last saw her!" Peter said, elbowing Egon and grinning at memories of back before Ghostbusting days when they were still teaching and researching at the university.

"She's…18 now, I believe. She just graduated high school a few months ago." Ray said, smiling.

"She knows how busy we are with the holidays coming up, right?" Winston asked. Ray nodded wearily.

"I've explained to her that it might be a boring visit, but she told me that she'll find something to keep her occupied. She hasn't been to New York since she was a baby anyway, and she'll probably want to explore it." Ray said.

"And you're sure this is alright with Meredith? Nicole _does_ know what we do now, doesn't she?" Egon asked quietly. Ray looked at his colleague, knowing that he was only worrying about Ray because he had been the one he confided in while he had gone through the divorce.

"I don't know what all Meredith has told her. I figured Nikki will just be surprised when she gets here and if this ghost business doesn't interest her anymore, then I guess Meredith will be happy about that." Ray explained.

"Wait, you're having her come here and not go straight to your apartment? Isn't this all a little much to be springing on your daughter the second she arrives?" Winston asked, gesturing at the immense amount of machinery and Ghostbusting equipment around them.

"I remembered that we'll be working late and I didn't want her to have to sit around the apartment alone until I got home later tonight." Ray said. "Besides, she'll remember Peter and Egon. They used to come over to visit all of the time after work, and she loved it."

"I'm eager to see the little Stantz again. I'm sure you both have a lot to catch up on." Peter said, waving his hands at the proton pack in front of them.

"Yeah…" Ray muttered quietly as he scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. He was already debating how much to tell her about the world of ghosts that over the years he had grown to be a part of.

"Hey, Dr. Stantz!" Janine's voice called from the first floor of the firehouse. "A cab just drove away. I think your daughter is here!"

Ray's face brightened as he set the pliers he had been messing with on the desk next to the repaired proton pack. He wiped his hands on the front of his shirt and headed for the stairs.

* * *

Nicole Stantz looked up at the massive building in front of her as the taxicab hurriedly drove away behind her. She gazed in wonder at the brightly painted sign that flashed the Ghostbusters' logo as it swung lazily over the door in the chilly winter breeze.

"Hi! You must be Nikki!"

She glanced down hurriedly as a short red haired woman stepped out of the building to greet her. Her clothes were brightly colored, and large round glasses took up most of her small face.

"Yeah…I assume I'm at the right place?" Nikki asked lightheartedly as she pointed up at the sign over her head. The woman laughed and nodded as she waved for her to come in.

"Of course you are. Hard to miss the Ghostbusters when you're in New York." She said as she turned and opened the door for the girl. "I'm Janine Melnitz, the guys' secretary."

"It's nice to meet you." Nikki smiled as she dragged her two large suitcases behind her. She also gripped a small pet carrier in her hand as she carefully squeezed past Janine and into the warmth of the firehouse.

Once inside the door, she stopped and stared at the interior of the building. To her left was the famed Ecto-1, brightly painted and topped with all of the high tech equipment that they used on their calls. She had seen pictures of the car, from newspapers she had sent for over the years without her mother knowing. She had to resist the urge to run her hand over the hood of the hearse out of sheer fascination.

"Nikki!" A voice called down, startling her amazement. Her face broke into a smile as she hurried towards the stairs where Ray was descending.

"Hey Dad," she said as she gently set the carrier down next to her so she could hug him. Ray smiled as he pulled away, still grasping her shoulders so he could take a look at his grown up daughter.

Her brown hair was the same shade as his, and it cascaded in messy waves over her shoulders. She wore a black dress coat which made her look taller, but in reality she was only a few inches shorter than Ray.

"Dad, you're covered in grease." She said as she rubbed at his forehead gently. Ray laughed.

"Sorry, work's been a little overwhelming. I didn't notice." He said, brushing his hands on his already grease-stained work shirt. He looked down at her bags and smiled at the pet carrier. "You brought Hallie?"

"No…this is just Hal. When you…well…Mom got me a cat to help me adjust and I named it Halloween. So, yeah the first one was Hallie, but when that one died a few years later, Mom replaced it, thinking I wouldn't notice. But clearly…this one's a boy. So it's Hal." She shrugged.

"Oh…I didn't know that Hallie died…" Ray said sadly. "That must have been after you stopped writing."

"Yeah." Nikki said softly. Ray looked down at the black cat curled up lazily in the carrier.

"At least she got the color right if nothing else." He said lightheartedly. Nikki smiled and knelt next to the carrier. The large cat hefted itself to its feet and meowed pleadingly at her.

"Would you mind if I let him out for a little while? He's been cooped up in there all day for the plane ride." She asked. Ray shrugged and looked at Janine who had seated herself back at her desk with a magazine.

"So long as he doesn't get into anything." Ray said. Nikki smiled and unlocked the carrier, accepting the cats loving mews as it rubbed against her. She stood and glanced up as the other three Ghostbusters slowly walked down the stairs behind her father.

"Aww look at Little Stantz all grown up!" Peter said as he reached the ground floor. He held his arms out and Nikki blushed as she hugged him.

"It's been forever since I've heard anyone call me that." She said shyly. Egon smiled down at her and she moved to hug him as well.

"Hello Nikki," Egon said quietly as she turned towards Winston.

"This is Winston Zeddemore, he just joined us a few years ago." Ray said quickly. Nikki smiled at the man and offered him a hug too before turning back to her father.

"So you hunt ghosts now?" She asked simply. Ray blinked in surprise at her bluntness and looked to Egon and Peter who were both regarding him with amusement.

"Well, uh…yeah. Pretty much." Ray said nervously. She raised an eyebrow and looked around, slight interest showing in her face.

"You heard about us all the way down in the mountains of Virginia?" Peter asked humorously. Nikki smirked.

"I kept tabs on my dad, of course." She said as she shrugged out of her coat and set it on top of one of her suitcases. "Mom wouldn't tell me much after you got fired from the university. She just kept saying that she knew your studies would lead nowhere. That's when I got worried because I remembered that being a big part of your life."

Ray grimaced, knowing indeed how Meredith had felt about how much time he had put into studying the supernatural with Peter and Egon, even back then. Of course she wouldn't have told Nikki about their successful Ghostbusting business.

"But I eventually found a way to get New York newspapers sent back home to me. I thought this Ghostbusters thing was a joke at first, but…" Nikki looked around the firehouse, shaking her head in amazement. "This is so much more than I thought it would be. Dad, how is this possible?"

Ray smiled down at her, recognizing the familiar spark of interest he had come to love about Nikki when she was little. His heart leapt as he thought of picking up the forgotten pieces from when Meredith had taken her away from him.

"Two weeks isn't enough time to explain it all, but I'm sure we can try." He said. He waved for her to follow him to the basement. "You can leave your bags in here with Janine until we get ready to leave in a little while. Come on, I want to show you the containment unit."

Nikki's eyes widened, stricken with disbelief. She looked at Egon, Peter and Winston as they smiled amusedly at her excitement. She moved to follow Ray down to the containment unit, her little black cat trailing after her.

"Hey uh…are you aware that you have a shadow?!" Peter called after her. She smiled and gently stroked the cat's ears as she headed quickly after Ray.


	3. Curiosity

"And that really keeps the ghosts contained? How long did it take you to figure out to right kind of materials to use?" Nikki asked once Ray had explained how the containment unit worked. He placed the empty trap he had been using to demonstrate on a shelf against the wall.

"It took some time, but Egon did most of the design work. We just had to find something that would keep the ghosts and vapors from breaking through, and he found that a certain type of laser confinement worked best." Ray said.

"That's amazing…" Nikki said, staring at all of the work that must have gone into building something so large. "And it's safe?"

"It is now. After the first incident back in '84…we had to make some major modifications so something like that wouldn't happen again. It nearly levelled the whole building when it was shut down." Ray explained.

"Was that when…Gozer attacked?" Nikki asked, trying to remember correctly the small bit of information she had obtained from the papers she had received. Ray smiled in surprise at her.

"Yeah, actually. You really did try to keep up with me." He said, patting her on the shoulder. Nikki smiled sadly and knelt to pick up the cat that had wrapped itself around her legs.

"I had to. It was all I could do to try and remember you."

Ray opened his mouth to say something, anything to explain himself to his daughter, but before he could he was interrupted by the sound of feet hurrying down the basement stairs.

"Ray, we've gotta go." Peter said quickly. He smiled apologetically at Nikki. "There's a call."

"Oh." Ray said, moving to the stairs. Nikki hurried to follow them, carrying Hal in her arms.

"A call? To catch a ghost?" She asked.

"Yeah. Egon thinks it's a class 4. Something is haunting the museum and the tour guide that witnessed it said he heard sounds like cannons and gunfire." Peter said. He glanced briefly at Nikki's surprised face and sighed, looking back at Ray. "This might take a little while."

"Can I come with you?" She asked as the three of them reached the ground floor. Egon and Winston were already loading up the car with what looked like heavy, highly-technical equipment.

"No…I would like to bring you on a bust with us before you go back home, but this one sounds like it may be a little dangerous." Ray said gently. He hurried over to the lockers and began pulling on his jumpsuit.

Nikki watched the Ghostbusters' nearly perfected routine of loading up the car as she stood next to Janine's desk, Hal gazing curiously at the men as they ran back and forth. Ray shut the door of his locker as the other three Ghostbusters packed themselves into the car. He hurried back to Janine's desk and handed the secretary a few wadded up bills.

"Would you mind seeing about getting her some dinner in a bit?" He glanced at his watch and sighed. "It might be a while before we're done."

"Sure thing, Dr. Stantz. I'll take good care of her for you." Janine smiled as she waved him away. Ray shut the car door and smiled apologetically at Nikki who shrugged and shifted the cat into one arm so she too could wave goodbye as the Ecto-1 tore out of the garage.

"Well…what do you do for fun around here?" Nikki asked Janine when the sirens had drifted down the street and the firehouse was once more bathed in silence. Janine smiled as she got up from her desk and pulled open a drawer of her filing cabinet.

"Personally, I read to past most of the time. I've got some People magazines in here if you'd like." She rummaged around in another drawer. "I think I also might have a pack of cards in my desk if you want to play? Or maybe the guys have a few old board games upstairs we can look for."

Nikki smiled at the secretary as she sat Hal on the floor next Janine's desk.

"Reading doesn't sound so bad. Has Dad still got some of his old ghost story books? He used to read them to me when I was little." She asked. Janine smiled and glanced up the stairs as she turned to lead Nikki up to the second floor.

"I'm sure we can find something. Just be warned, it's a little messy up there."

* * *

It was nearly 9 o'clock before the Ghostbusters returned to the firehouse that night, exhausted from their battle with the museum ghost. Nikki and Janine were nowhere to be seen as the men lazily got out of the car, groaning from their sore muscles.

"Janine? Anybody here?" Peter called out tiredly, his voice echoing around the firehouse.

"We're up here, Dr. Venkman!" Janine's voice said from the second floor. Peter raised an eyebrow at Ray who sighed and headed for the upper level of the building.

"I'll take care of this." Egon said, carefully carrying the loaded trap by its cord on his way to the basement. Winston climbed out of the drivers' seat and began unloading the nearly overheated proton packs from the rear of the car with Peter.

When Ray had reached the landing at the top of the stairs, he found Nikki sitting cross-legged on the couch surrounded by three or four of his old ghost story books. Her cat, Hal lay curled up on the armrest beside her, asleep. Ray crossed the room and moved the books over so he could collapse tiredly on the couch next to Nikki. Janine smiled from the small kitchen area where a partially-eaten pizza lay on the table. She set a few pieces on a paper plate for Ray before closing the box and taking the rest of it downstairs for the other three Ghostbusters to finish.

"You must have a really good memory. How'd you know these were the ones I used to read to you?" Ray asked, glancing at the handful of books she had picked out. Nikki smiled up at him.

"To be honest, I just guessed. The wear and tear on the covers also told me which ones you had used more than others."

"Smart thinking." He said, impressed. He glanced down at the small cluster of books next to her and picked one up curiously. "I don't remember reading to you from this one though."

Nikki looked at the book he had indicated, her eyes questioning as she noticed the cover.

"Oh, I picked that one up out of curiosity. I just wanted to see if there was any truth to those mediums and psychics you hear about on TV. I got a little bored with it though so…I switched back over to this." She smiled and gestured to the small book of legendary ghost sightings in her hand. Ray raised an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't there be any truth to it? I've found lots of evidence to back up extrasensory abilities and those who claim to see ghosts. Hey – we kinda do it for a living." Ray said. Nikki smiled wearily.

"I know you do, I looked at your computers while you were gone." She blurted out. Ray's eyes widened.

"You…what? How did you understand any of it?" He asked, flabbergasted. Nikki laughed and stood to show him.

"I figured that you and Uncle Egon would have some kind of codes for your records, so I found a book of ghost classifications and I paired up the numbers with the pictures in the books. It wasn't very hard…" She explained as she clicked around at the computer. She opened the small book she had referred to and showed her father the process she had gone through. Ray ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up.

"Wow…I had…no idea that any one person could figure that out in one evening." He said under his breath. Nikki grinned and then her face turned apologetic as she caught his reaction.

"I didn't mess anything up, honest. I just wanted to see some of the records of the ghosts that you had caught." She said softly. Ray looked away from the computer screen at his daughter who bit her lip, looking every bit like a wounded puppy. "I won't do it again."

Ray stared at the girl and then down at the book on the desk before glancing back at the screen. He shook his head as a relieved smile broke out on his face.

"Your mom didn't tell me how smart you were. It's just amazing that you were able to hack into our records so quickly and effortlessly." He said. Nikki smiled in relief as she replaced the book back on the shelf where she had found it.

"I'm pretty sure it would've taken you a little longer than that if you yourself hadn't known Egon's codes as well as you do, Ray." Peter's voice interrupted. He was leaning against the doorframe of the room, a slice of pizza in his hand as he regarded the father and daughter moment going on in front of him.

"Thanks Venkman." Ray replied dryly. Nikki smirked as she flashed a sideways glance at Peter who winked knowingly at her.

"I'll need to record this in the database," Egon said, speaking about the ghost they had caught at the museum as he pushed past Peter and walked towards the computer where Ray and Nikki stood.

"Why don't you have Little Stantz fill it in for you, Spengz? She just gave herself a lesson in decoding your records while we were gone." Peter said. Egon looked faintly surprised as he glanced at the computer.

"Hmm. Alright then. Give it a try." Egon said as he stepped to the side so that Nikki could take control of the computer. He told her the information needed to record it and with almost no difficulty, she was able to type it in and document it with the other captured ghosts' information.

"Nice work, Nikki!" Ray said, still taken aback by her ease of numbers and decoding.

Nikki smiled and felt herself blush at her father's doting words. She couldn't help but be reminded of how her mother had also been impressed with how smart Nikki had been in school. Meredith would say on many occasions how much Nikki reminded her of Ray and then she would grow silent, not speaking any more on the subject no matter how hard Nikki would press her.

Nikki blinked back into the present and began gathering the books she had left on the couch.

"Janine says we got another call while we were gone. We might need to make a stop at the old warehouse across town tomorrow. They're planning on tearing it down to rebuild it, and they want to make sure nothing will pop up to stop them." Egon was saying quietly. Ray ran a hand through his hair tiredly as he glanced at Nikki where she was replacing the books on a shelf.

"Let me get her settled in and I'll call you in the morning." Ray murmured quietly. Egon nodded knowingly and turned back to his computer. "Ready to go, Nikki?"

Nikki nodded as she scooped up her drowsy cat from the couch. She crossed the room to follow after Ray who was pulling his coat on over his Ghostbusters jumpsuit, obviously too tired to take the uniform off.

"See you later, Little Stantz!" Peter called after her lightheartedly.

"Bye," She said with a smirk, following Ray down the stairs of the firehouse.


	4. Nightmares and Breakfast

**Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I just wanted to remind you that I'm always eager for some feedback on my writing, and I appreciate you keeping up with me! Let me know if you have any questions or something sounds a little confusing. Enjoy! :D**

Ray awoke in the middle of the night to a cry coming from the room next to him. Confused and still groggy with sleep, he switched on his bedside lamp and hurried out into the hallway. He quietly walked over to the small guest bedroom, finding the door halfway open.

After Meredith and Nikki had left New York, Ray had moved into a smaller apartment closer to the university. When his job there had fallen through a few years later and the Ghostbusters had started up, he had nearly thought about moving full time into the firehouse. But Peter and Egon had talked him out of it, saying that Ray would eventually need somewhere to run off to when work got to be too stressful. Ray had agreed and on many occasions, he was glad to have the silence of his apartment to come home to. On this night however, with his daughter back and staying with him for a few weeks, every noise made him worry.

"Nicole?" He asked, his voice soft. As he approached the door, the lamp next to her bed was switched on. Ray paused at the door for a moment and then when he didn't hear her answer, he knocked on the doorframe quietly.

When he peeked into the room, the first thing that he noticed was that Hal was crouched near the wall away from the bed. His fur was fluffed up to twice his size and his eyes were wide as he stared at Nikki. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, the blankets a tangled bunch at the foot of her bed. She had her right hand pressed against her forehead, her face pale and beaded with sweat. When she noticed that Ray was standing in the doorway, she glanced up hurriedly.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to wake you up…" She apologized, brushing her tangled hair back behind her ears nervously. Ray stepped hesitantly into her room and looked around it, empty except for the two open suitcases on the floor.

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly, sitting on the end of her bed. She nodded quickly and offered him a sleepy smile.

"Just a nightmare. I guess being somewhere I'm not familiar with caused it." She said nonchalantly. Ray blinked and his gaze moved down to the ghost story book sitting on her nightstand. He gave her an amused smirk.

"You sure it's not because of what you've been reading?" He suggested. Nikki glanced down at the book and her mouth twitched into a small smile.

"No…you know I've been reading ghost stories ever since I was little. They have no effect on me anymore." She said, staring down at her knees which she clutched tighter to herself.

"Well…if you're sure that you're okay…" Ray studied the girl's weary, apologetic gaze and gently moved to stand up. She stiffly lowered her feet to the floor next to the bed as her father once more crossed the room.

"I promise it won't happen again." She said as she got up and began straightening out her covers. Ray stood next to the door and watched her quick, nervous movements as she re-made her bed. Something had really startled her, but Ray realized that she clearly wasn't going to tell him anything. Rather than push her too much on her first night's stay with him, he decided to give in to his exhaustion.

"Alright then…goodnight." He murmured as he shuffled out of the room. As soon as he'd gone and Nikki had finished fluffing her pillows, she gently sat on the side of her bed and stared after him sadly. Hal jumped up and sat next to her, leaning into her lap. She hesitantly raised her hand and stroked his dark ears.

"Hal…what am I going to tell him?" She whispered. The cat purred lazily against her leg and blinked up at her questioningly. "What if he thinks I'm crazy like Mom does? I'm just…"

Nikki glanced down at Hal, who had been through the many times she had locked herself in her room to avoid the critical stares her mother had given her. Meredith had always been so sure that Ray had been a bad influence on Nikki, so when they had moved, and Nikki had continued to ask about her father night after night, she had broken down and told Nikki that he had left them. Nikki had taken the news as badly as her father had feared…nightmares and fits of crying had tormented the small girl for weeks on, even once she had started school.

Then suddenly one day her hysterics had stopped. Nikki had come to terms with her parents' separation, or that's how Meredith had taken it. In reality, Nikki had resorted to writing to Ray, asking him for the truth, because she knew that he would never have left her. But in Ray's return letters, he never mentioned the divorce, he only asked how school was going and if she had seen any of her 'ghost friends' lately. Each letter she wrote to him after that would contain a story of at least one new ghost sighting, whether it be at school or the grocery store or even at home in the immense backyard of her new house. Unknown to Nikki at the time, Meredith had eventually started to intercept the letters that Ray sent to his daughter.

Nikki was brought back to the present by Hal pawing her leg. She gasped as she unhooked his claw from her pajamas and rubbed his ears.

"I'm just afraid, Hal…" She whispered as she slowly crawled back under the covers. The cat stretched and then curled up at the foot of her bed. Nikki switched off the lamp next to her and stared up at the dark ceiling for a long time before sleep finally returned to her.

* * *

The next morning found Nikki and Ray sitting together over breakfast at a local diner a few blocks down from the Ghostbusters firehouse. The meal had been relatively quiet, with neither of the two saying much to the other.

Nikki was working her way through a plate of pancakes and bacon, every now and then commenting on the people who flashed her father admiring glances.

"They…really look up to you, Dad." She said quietly after one couple had walked by with a small toddler who had pointed up at Ray and squealed. Ray chuckled over his coffee as he watched them walk out of the diner and then shrugged at his daughter.

"It wasn't always like this. I remember a time when no one did." He said softly. Nikki lowered her gaze back down to her half-finished plate, noticing the sharp undertone his voice had.

"I looked up to you." She blurted out, nibbling at a piece of bacon and avoiding his gaze when he looked at her over his coffee cup. He studied her for a moment before quietly setting the cup down on the table.

"I know you did." He said gently as he went back to his breakfast. She stared up at him carefully, waiting for him to say more. After a few seconds she settled back against the seat in the booth she shared with him, looking out the window at the already busy streets with people hurriedly passing by.

"I wanted to…just explain about the nightmare I had last night…" She said, breaking the silence. As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt her face grow hot. She fumbled for words for a few seconds, picking at her breakfast once more with her fork nervously.

"That's not necessary, Nikki…" Ray said, noticing her discomfort. She raised her dark colored eyes up to him warily. "I know that what happened between your mother and I hurt you pretty badly. You don't need to explain anything."

Nikki set her fork on the napkin beside her plate and smiled at the table sadly.

"Okay." She said softly. Ray glanced up as the waitress came by the table to refill their coffee.

"I didn't get to talk to you for very long yesterday. How was your trip up here?" Ray asked as he nodded thanks at the waitress.

"It was fine. Being it was my first flight alone, it was a little scary but I got through it in one piece." Nikki said lightheartedly. Ray smiled.

"That's good. You'll be able to breeze through it with no problem next time." He said. Nikki shrugged and laughed.

"Yeah, probably." She said as she poured some more syrup over her pancakes. Ray glanced out the window briefly before looking back at her.

"So, we're supposed to go across town to check out a…uh, haunted warehouse…" He started as the waitress dropped off the check and walked off. Nikki nodded slowly, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, I heard you last night." She said. Ray paused and then sighed.

"Would you…"

"I'll be fine on my own for today, Dad. I'm not a kid anymore." She said reassuringly. Ray studied Nikki as she went back to her breakfast.

"I know you're not." He said simply as he glanced down at his watch before taking a sip of his coffee. Nikki picked up her half-finished piece of bacon and nibbled at it again.

"I was thinking I could do some shopping while I'm up here. Know any good places I should stop at?" She asked. Ray nearly choked on his coffee at the sudden change of subject. Nikki's eyes widened slightly and she ducked her head back down apologetically.

"Um…no actually. I'm sure Janine would know a few places though, if you'd like to ask her." He said, as he cleared his throat and gently set the cup back down on the table. Nikki smirked and nodded.

"Alright, I'll do that then." She said.

She glanced up at Ray who was once more looking at his wrist nervously. She noticed his empty plate in front of him and she suddenly felt her face flush.

"Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in a hurry. I'm ready to go if you are." She said, quickly gathering her purse and sliding towards the end of the booth. Ray shook his head and waved for her to sit back down.

"No, you're fine. Egon's just always in a hurry to get things done. I told him that we were having breakfast, it should be fine-"

"I don't want to keep you from your work. I know it's important." Nikki reassured him. Ray paused and glanced out the window.

"We'll do something together as soon as we get back." Ray promised as he grabbed the check and headed for the cashier. Nikki nodded knowingly and followed him, waiting patiently as he paid for their breakfasts. When he turned around to walk out of the diner, an elderly couple sitting in the booth next to the door stopped them.

"Dr. Stantz…is this your daughter?" The woman asked, smiling sweetly at Nikki. Ray nodded and wrapped an arm around Nikki's shoulders.

"Yeah, this is my Nikki. She's here visiting with me for a little while." He said. The woman raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Oh, she looks just like you! Is he teaching you to take his place?" She asked, gently elbowing Nikki's side. Nikki opened her mouth and looked to Ray who was laughing quietly.

"Um…I don't know about that…" Nikki said slowly, feeling her face drain of all color.

"No, she's just here for some quality time with her Dad…" Ray said, scratching the back of his head nervously. He patted Nikki on the shoulder and nodded at the elderly couple who chuckled.

When they had exited the diner, Ray paused on the sidewalk outside and faced Nikki apologetically. He glanced at his watch once more and Nikki placed her hand on his wrist knowingly.

"I'll be fine, Dad. Go." She said softly. Ray shrugged and looked down the street towards where the Ghostbusters' building towered on the corner.

"You're sure? Now that I said that thing about 'quality time with Dad' I feel kinda bad leaving you like this." He said. Nikki rolled her eyes.

"You can tell me all about your ghost adventure later when you get back…that can count as quality time with Dad. Until then, I'll do a little shopping and browsing to pass the time." She reassured him once more. Ray nodded and put his hands into his coat pockets.

"Right. Do you uh…need any money or anything?" He asked. Nikki shook her head.

"No…my part-time job at the bookstore back home has left me with some spending money, don't worry about that." She smiled.

"Okay," Ray said with a sigh, looking once more up at the building down the street. "We'll try to be back by lunch, or maybe an hour or two later. If you need anything, Janine's at the firehouse."

"Alright, thanks Dad. See you later." Nikki said. She gave him a quick hug and then turned and headed down the street towards a string of stores to begin her investigation of the city. Ray watched her worriedly for a few seconds before spinning around and trekking towards the firehouse.


	5. The Ghostbusters Return

**I can't wait to post the next chapter, ya'll! So I thought it would be good if I built up to it with this longer chapter - I hope no one minds. As you've probably noticed, I try to update every other day. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and leave a review to let me know how it's going! :)**

After a few hours of roaming the downtown streets, Nikki found herself outside of the Ghostbusters' firehouse, a few shopping bags at her side. She debated whether or not to return to Ray's apartment to drop off her purchases, but finally decided on the choice that would leave her less isolated from people.

Nikki pushed open the large door of the firehouse and smiled when Janine glanced up from one of her magazines at her desk. The garage seemed to feel large and empty, missing the elaborately painted hearse in the center of it.

"Hi, Nikki. You've been finding your way around the shopping malls, I see." Janine said, her voice echoing around the empty space. Nikki nodded as she crossed the floor toward the secretary's desk.

"Yeah, I think I'm all worn out from shopping for one day though." She said, feigning exhaustion. Janine scoffed.

"When I was your age, I could shop for a whole twelve hours straight without stopping." She said as she glanced down at the three or four bags Nikki held by her side. "This is nothing!"

Nikki grinned as she set the bags in a chair next to Janine's desk. She noticed a small stack of sticky notes on the desk in front of the secretary. From the few messages on the top sheet, Nikki assumed it had been a relatively slow day so far.

"So…not much goes on during the day when they're not here, huh?" Nikki asked, looking around at the silent building. Janine shrugged and then shook her head.

"Nope." She said simply, not looking away from her magazine. Nikki frowned.

"Well, what do they do when they _are_ here and not off hunting ghosts?"

Janine pursed her lips thoughtfully, glancing up for a moment.

"They make themselves stay busy. Egon is usually always working on something, whether he's inventing some new type of ghost catching device or just repairing older equipment. Winston uses the extra time to keep the car in working order. Now, Ray, he likes to read. He's always researching something, and/or assisting Egon. Dr. Venkman though, he's the one who bails on the rest of them when there's not much to do. He'll go home and catch up on his sleep for a few hours, or go visit his girlfriend. He does pretty much whatever he likes." Janine said good-humoredly. She laughed and then broke into a smile. "They're all good guys though. The city's lucky to have them."

Nikki smiled at the good things the Ghostbusters' secretary had to say about her father and his colleagues. From the information she had gotten over the years, it was hard _not_ to believe that their reputation was a positive one.

"Do they get called so far away very often?" Nikki asked quietly after noticing that it was nearing two in the afternoon. Janine nodded.

"Those guys at the warehouse have called before for other buildings they needed torn down. They invested in a sort of insurance plan with the Ghostbusters…Dr. Venkman's idea. They've called on our guys several times, most of the time for really nothing other than to get their money's worth. They may have found something today though, since it's taking so long. Either that or they got sidetracked." Janine said. Nikki nodded, shifted her feet uncomfortably and then looked back down at Janine, a question weighing on her mind.

"Can I ask you something? It may sound a little silly or whatever." Nikki said after a moment. Janine looked at the girl over the bridge of her glasses.

"Well, sure."

"Did my Dad ever talk about me? I mean, before he mentioned I was coming to visit."

Janine blinked thoughtfully and then set her magazine down on the desktop. She turned in her chair to face Nikki.

"Well…I mean…obviously Peter and Egon knew about you. I sort of knew Ray had a daughter…he would have me take care of mailing packages and cards to you for Christmas and birthdays and whatnot." Janine explained. Nikki nodded.

"I figured it was like that." She murmured. Janine bit her lip and gently took Nikki's hand.

"But he seems genuinely happy now that you're here. For the past week before you got here, he couldn't stop talking about it. I'm surprised he didn't just drive to the airport to pick you up yesterday himself!"

Nikki smiled at the red-headed secretary and then looked down at the bags in the chair next to her.

"Well if you think they'll still be another little while, I think I'll take these back to Dad's apartment. I need to make sure Hal is behaving himself anyway." Nikki said. Janine smiled.

"On your way, stop by this little coffee shop down the street. They have great hot chocolates, teas and coffees. It might help keep you warm on your walk." Janine said, winking at the girl as she scooped up her packages.

"I'll do that," Nikki said, smiling as she headed back across the garage space and out into the busy streets outside.

* * *

As Nikki returned to the firehouse about an hour later, a small cup of hot chocolate in her hand, she was surprised to see that the Ecto-1 was being backed into the garage. The Ghostbusters had finally returned after a long day at work.

"How did it go?" Nikki asked as the four men piled out of the car, wearily. Peter had a slight scowl on his face as he shut the car door behind him. "What happened?"

"A whole lot of nothing, that's what happened." He mumbled grumpily. Ray offered his daughter a sad smile as he rounded the vehicle to help Egon and Winston unload the heavy proton packs from the back.

"Yeah, we spent most of the day covering every inch of that old building, and didn't find a trace of anything. I'm sorry, sweetheart." Ray said. Nikki's shoulders fell slightly. She had been expecting them to return with a grand story of ghost-busting.

"That's okay. I did a little bit of Christmas shopping while you were gone. I got a few things to take back for Mom." She said. Ray smiled as he heaved a pack into his arms and turned toward the stairs.

"Sounds like you had fun," Ray commented. Nikki shrugged, staring at the device in his hands.

"Can I help?" She asked as she watched each of the men carry one of the heavy packs past her.

"This is some pretty dangerous equipment, Nikki. I think we've got it, but thank you." Egon said. Nikki smiled and moved to shut the back of the car as Egon filed up the stairs after the other Ghostbusters.

"So, those are what you use to catch ghosts?" Nikki asked, following them upstairs.

"This and traps, yeah. There's been a few times when Egon and Ray have taken some more powerful equipment out on a bust, but these are our main weapons of choice." Winston said once they'd reached the second floor. Egon arranged the proton packs carefully on a table in the corner of the room.

"Wow." Nikki said, staring in awe at the devices in front of her. "I guess they're not supposed to be used indoors, huh?"

"Funny, kid. But when we're working in the city like this, there's no choice." Peter said, laughing ironically as he shrugged out of his coat.

"How exactly do they work?" Nikki asked, curious.

"Well…long story short, these packs shoot out a burst of protonic energy that disrupts the psychokinetic energy that a ghost radiates. When that happens, we're able to get hold of the ghost until we can get it over a trap. The ghost is pulled into the trap and…that's basically it." Ray said, crossing his arms over his chest. Nikki looked at the proton packs thoughtfully, shaking her head slowly in disbelief.

"I'd love to see that actually happen." She murmured. Peter smiled and clamped a hand down on her shoulder.

"Maybe you will." He said. Ray flashed him a wary look, and Peter scrambled to quickly add, "If…you can get Dad's permission, of course."

Nikki glanced up at her father, a questioning look in her eyes. Ray sighed and levelly met her gaze.

"You… you know how your mom feels about what I do, don't you?" He finally said. Nikki still held the cup of hot chocolate in her hands and she felt herself start fidgeting with it as she was put on the spot in front of the other three Ghostbusters.

"Yeah, I know," She mumbled, but she didn't let that falter her curiosity. "It's not like I'll go home and tell her about every little thing I did on my trip here. I know how to get around her, how do you think I was able to hear about your Ghostbusters business and whatnot?"

"He's just trying to abide by what your mother would want, Nikki." Egon spoke up when Ray was unable to say anything right away. Nikki shook her head.

"Who cares about what she would want? She's been watching over me like a hawk all of these years and for once I get to be off on my own. I just want to know more about you, Dad." She said simply. Ray looked crestfallen as he leaned against the desk, lost in his thoughts.

"Ray, if you won't take her on a bust with us, then I will." Peter finally said. He looked down at Nikki who was near to emotional tears. Peter shook her shoulders lightheartedly and laughed. "Look! She's even almost perfected your facial expressions and she hasn't seen you since she was a baby!"

"Yep, that's definitely you, Ray." Winston laughed quietly in agreement. Even Egon couldn't hide the little smirk that turned up the corner of his mouth. Ray sighed in defeat.

"Alright. Well…let's all get a late lunch or something, and then we'll talk about _maybe_ letting you come with us tomorrow if there's a call." Ray said. Nikki's face broke into a relieved smile and she was absorbed in a suffocating embrace by Peter who had spun her around into his arms.

"There, there, Little Stantz," He said, petting her obnoxiously. She struggled to pull herself away from him, trying to hold her serious stance but breaking down into a fit of laughter.

"Ray's buying!" Winston called out, heading downstairs. Peter finally released Nikki, who collapsed, giggling onto the couch against the wall. Ray smiled as he helped her up and followed the crowd of Ghostbusters heading back down to the car.

* * *

The next morning, Nikki hurried to wake up before Ray, even making a quick breakfast from what little he had stored in his fridge and cabinets. When the smell of bacon and eggs cooking finally roused him from his sleep, he sleepily walked into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" He asked. Nikki jumped, startled and then smiled.

"Morning, Dad. Just thought I would surprise you with some breakfast before work." She said. Ray frowned and ran a hand through his already sticking up hair.

"I'm surprised," He stated with a little half-hearted laugh. He glanced at his watch. "It's not even eight thirty…"

"I know." She said, scooping the eggs onto a small plate. She flipped the bacon over in another pan and took the plate of eggs to the counter where Ray stood.

"Did you, ah…sleep better last night?" He asked worriedly. Nikki nodded.

"Yeah, fine." She said as she opened the fridge and found half a container of orange juice. She pulled two glasses down from a cabinet over the sink and handed one to Ray.

"No nightmares or anything?" Ray asked. Nikki met his gaze briefly before turning back to the bacon.

"No nightmares." She confirmed as she switched off the burner and slid the bacon onto another plate. "I've got some coffee brewing over there. It'll be done in a minute."

"What's this all about?" Ray asked, having still not moved from his place on the other side of the counter. Nikki pursed her lips and set the plate of bacon next to the eggs.

"I felt kinda bad that I had that little breakdown in front of you and your friends last night. I felt stupid about it later, and if you're really worried about taking me with you, then I guess it's okay if you don't." Nikki said slowly. She slid half of the eggs and bacon onto another plate and then pushed it across the counter towards her father.

"Okay…?" He said, studying her facial expressions warily. She smirked.

"But just know that if you _don't_ take me with you, then I'll probably just keep asking you to explain how everything works. And I'm sure that would get old really fast."

Ray gently set his glass of orange juice on the counter and nodded. Nikki fixed herself a plate of food and took a seat at one of the barstools at the counter. Ray rounded the counter and began fixing himself a cup of coffee, shaking his head at how crafty his daughter was. He turned around and leaned against the counter, a testing look in his eye.

"No…I'll tell you what would get old. If I took you up on your offer to explain everything you ask me about, I'm sure it would be just like when you were little and I'd put you to sleep with my boring talk." He said, taking a sip of his coffee. Nikki spun around in her chair, her eyes narrowed comically.

"I was little! I could barely stay up past 8!" She protested. Ray laughed.

"I'm kidding. You can still tag along if we get a call today. Just promise me you'll stay safe." He said, joining her back at the counter where their food was cooling. Nikki smiled and nodded.

"I'll be safe. What could happen when I'm with four of the city's greatest ghost hunters?"


	6. The Haunted Pool

**Okay, here it is. The chapter where this whole story originated from. I had a dream about this a long time ago, I just didn't know how to make a story out of it. So, while I was busy working on my previous Fanfictions, this one slowly came to mind around my dream. So...I really hope ya'll enjoy it! Don't forget to review or message me if you have any questions!**

"I'm sorry Nikki…like I tried to tell you, we're not _always_ on call."

Nikki sat on the couch in the upstairs rec room/lab of the Ghostbusters firehouse. She tried not to let her disappointment show on her face as she watched Egon and Ray hard at work with a small meter looking device.

"That's good though, right?" Nikki said, grabbing for a book to flip through. Ray shrugged as he passed Egon a small screwdriver.

"It means that no one seems to be terrorized by the dead today. So yeah, I guess that's good." Ray said with a smirk.

"Not good for business though. Too many days like this in a row and the people start to doubt us again." Peter said from where he was eating some leftover Chinese in the kitchen.

"Way to stay positive, Pete…" Ray said under his breath. Peter shrugged and went back to his food.

"Just telling it how it is. The kid said she wanted to know more about you, didn't she? Good and bad." Peter said. Ray rolled his eyes.

"You know, I don't think we need -"

"Hey, guys! I need someone to come and talk to this guy!" Janine called from downstairs.

Ray glanced away from Peter, who he'd been about to argue with. Egon set the screwdriver down and turned away from the desk as he watched Ray dart across the room and head for the stairs. Nikki's eyes raised to the other Ghostbusters who seemed to be holding their breath in anticipation.

"What's going on?" Winston asked, emerging from the bunkroom where he had been trying to take a nap.

"Call." Peter said through a mouthful of food, nodding toward the stairs. Winston sighed, his attempt at catching up on his sleep seemingly put on hold.

"Really?" Nikki asked, trying to tone down her excitement. Egon noticed the girl's eagerness and he smiled slightly.

"Sounds like you may get your wish after all." He said, moving to the stairs to listen as Ray talked to the man over the phone. Nikki followed and stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at where Janine sat at her desk, helping Ray jot down the notes and details of the call.

"Right," Ray said, swiping a sticky note from Janine's pile. He scratched a few things down onto the paper and then frowned. "It's a…a what? As in… _a swimming pool_?"

Nikki looked up to meet Egon's equally confused gaze. They both leaned over the railing, trying to see if they had misheard Ray's side of the conversation. When Ray glanced up at the waiting couple, he shook his head in disbelief, a smirk on his face.

"No, we'll be there as soon as we can. I've gotta say, that does sound pretty strange." After getting the man's address and information, Ray hung up the phone. He looked up at Nikki who could hardly contain the anticipation on her face. He gave her a small thumbs-up and she smiled excitedly. She hurriedly turned around to see that both Peter and Winston were cleaning up the rest of the Chinese leftovers and making ready to round up the equipment they would need on the bust.

"Are we giving the kid a pack?" Winston asked worriedly. Egon reentered the room and shook his head.

"No, she's just along for the ride this time." Egon said patting Nikki's shoulder supportively.

"She can at least be in charge of taking PKE readings though, can't she?" Peter said, handing Nikki a meter. She clicked it on and could see a handful of random numbers fly across the screen. Egon quickly shut it off and smirked at her.

"That won't work in here. Save it for when we get out in the field." He said. She smiled and watched as each man then grabbed a proton pack and headed downstairs. Ray entered the room as they left, already in his uniform. Nikki turned to meet him with the meter in her hand and was surprised when he offered her a Ghostbusters jumpsuit of her own.

"Are you sure?" She asked, hesitantly taking the carefully folded uniform into her own arms. She unfolded it and looked at the nametag, noticing the large red STANTZ embroidered on the left chest. Ray smirked.

"It might be a little big on you, but go ahead and try it on. That way they'll know you're with us." Ray said. Nikki grinned and Ray ruffled her hair as he walked past her. "Hurry up though, we're in kind of a rush."

Ray picked up the remaining proton pack from the table and headed downstairs. Nikki watched him go, her heart hammering with excitement as she slipped the jumpsuit on over her jeans and purple sweater. She clipped the PKE meter to the belt and put her long brown hair into a ponytail. She examined herself in one of the many blank computer screens around the lab. Satisfied with what her new appearance, she quickly headed downstairs to catch up with the other Ghostbusters.

* * *

"So…are you ready for some hands-on ghost-busting fun?" Peter asked, shaking Nikki by her shoulders from where she sat in the front seat between him and Ray. Nikki smiled, looking straight ahead at the road in front of them.

"Are we really going to see one?" She asked softly.

"Well, that's usually what we're sent on these things for." Winston said from the backseat.

"There's a chance-" Ray said at the same time. Nikki looked up at him questioningly.

"A chance for what?"

"…a chance that we may not see a ghost." He finished slowly. Nikki blinked and looked up at Peter who shrugged.

"What do you mean, Ray? This call isn't for a ghost?" Peter asked for her. Ray turned off of a busy city street and towards a less crowded road, heading out of town.

"The guy on the phone said something about his swimming pool. It was glowing or something like that." Ray mumbled.

"So…the guy's got a yard full of ghosts having an out-of-season pool party?" Winston guessed from the backseat. Ray shook his head.

"He said he didn't see any ghosts. Just that the pool was glowing this other-worldly shade of green. He said he'd thought to call us first before he did anything about it."

"But we _might_ still see something." Egon added quickly in regards to Nikki's confused look. She smiled at his reassuring tone and glanced out the window at the passing houses. The further they got out of town, the larger the spaces between the houses grew.

"Looks like we're here," Ray said after a few more minutes as he slowed the car down and pulled into a small paved driveway.

"Hope you all brought your swim trunks." Peter joked as he shoved open the car door and slid out. Nikki followed after him, staring up at the large house. A tall wooden fence circled the small yard behind it, blocking the pool from the public view. Nikki shut the car door behind her and stepped towards the house as the Ghostbusters all quickly unloaded their proton packs.

"It seems a little quiet, Ray. Is the owner afraid to come out of his house or something?" Winston asked as he joined Nikki in front of the Ecto-1.

"He said he called as he was leaving for work this morning. His wife had taken the kids to school and then gone on to her workplace after that. He said that he only noticed the glow on the pool after they'd left." Ray explained, clicking the support belt of the proton pack around his waist.

"Interesting," Egon said as he reached Nikki's side. He gestured to the PKE meter at her waist. "You may want to switch that on now, Nikki. Check the readings as we get closer to the pool."

Nikki nodded as she unclipped the meter and switched it on. With Egon looking over her shoulder as she followed the other Ghostbusters to the fence's gate, she watched as the meter slowly but surely spiked up with the nearing ghostly energy.

"Okay…we're going in…" Ray said quietly as he unlatched the gate and pulled it open. Peter drew his thrower and was the first to step into the backyard with Winston following closely behind. Nikki's eyes widened as she passed her father at the gate and the glowing green of the large pool in the backyard reflected on her face.

"Wow…" she breathed as she stopped inside the fence behind the other two Ghostbusters who were staring in confusion at the eerie sight.

The swimming pool took up nearly the whole fenced in area, leaving only enough room for a small patio-like space with a few large chairs for sunbathing. In the cool December weather, it was strange to be in what should be a summer setting. The pool pulsated with a lime-green light which seemed to smoke and move like a living thing.

"Don't most people usually drain their swimming pools for the colder months of the year?" Winston asked quietly as they inched further toward the pool.

"Yeah. This guy said he did exactly that some months ago. But when he woke up this morning…here it was." Ray said, his voice soft as he took in the sight before him. He looked at Nikki who was a few steps in front of him. "You okay, Nikki?"

"Yeah…yeah I'm fine." She said, looking back and forth from the meter to the pool.

"How do you think we should go about dealing with this?" Peter asked. "I don't think this is a situation where we just shoot at it…"

"I agree," Egon said, peering at his own PKE meter which he had unclipped from his belt. "Let's try to get a proper scan of it and then we'll decide what course of action we need to take."

"Okay…" Nikki said as she moved a little closer to the pool, her tennis shoes making light footsteps on the paved patio. The closer they got to the pool, the more Nikki noticed a tight feeling in the air. She looked to the Ghostbusters fanning out around her to see if they noticed it, and was surprised to see that they too all seemed to be on edge.

Peter wove between the patio furniture, keeping an eye on the perimeter. The green substance seemed to be smoking a few inches above the pool, and he kept his proton thrower aimed at it as if he expected something to leap out at the group of people at any second.

Egon quietly worked his way across the patio and around the interior of the fence, careful not to get too close to the glowing pool.

"Anybody else feel that?" Winston asked after a few seconds.

"Feel what?" Ray asked, following Egon and keeping an eye on where Nikki was standing a few feet from the pool.

"It's like a magnet trying to pull you closer," Nikki said. Winston nodded.

"Yeah," He glanced down at the pool and frowned at the seemingly bottomless ocean of pulsing green light. "That's one way of putting it."

"I can't get a good enough scan of it…" Egon murmured, frustrated. Nikki blinked as she glanced down at her own PKE meter and then looked at the pool a few feet in front of her. Smoke drifted off of the lapping water and she took a hesitant step back from it as it neared the tip of her shoe.

"Do you think it's anything like the mood slime we found under the city a few years?" Peter asked, nudging a chair out of his path.

"Hard to tell." Egon replied, inching closer with his meter. "Maybe I can get a sample of it and then it'll be easier to see what exactly it is."

Nikki glanced across the pool and an idea popped into her head. She slowly moved around the edge of the patio, careful not to get too close to the dizzying array of smoke and shining water.

"I found a kid's sand bucket over here in this little storage closet," Winston offered. He tossed a small pink bucket over to Ray who caught it and held it up for Egon to examine.

"That could work," Egon said as he gestured to the pool. His eyes landed on something across the water and his mouth fell open in shock.

Nikki had climbed onto the diving board of the pool in an attempt to get a better scan with the meter. She was barely standing out over the water, but it was enough to cause the Ghostbusters to panic.

 _"_ _Nikki!"_ Ray gasped, dropping the bucket to the patio. It clattered against the cement as Ray's face paled.

"I'm already getting a better scan, do you want me to get closer?" Nikki asked, inching out a little further across the diving board.

"No!" Ray said, his voice strained. He glanced between his daughter and the smoking mass of water. "Get down from there!"

Nikki hurriedly glanced up to see all four of the Ghostbusters beckoning her down from the diving board. She froze, then glanced down at the whirring meter in her hand.

"But I thought you needed a better reading-" She started.

"Easy there, Little Stantz. We've got another plan that doesn't involve you going out over the swirling death water." Peter said, trying to keep his voice even. Nikki frowned at the water below her, the glow shining up at her and turning her green with the pulsing light. She took a step away from the water and back the way she had come.

"Careful," Winston said as he took the PKE meter she handed him. She was about to turn around to step off of the diving board when her gaze landed on something in the water.

"Dad…there's something down there…" Nikki said, pausing to stare down into the deep green pool.

"Come on, Nikki." Winston said, holding his hand out to help her down from the diving board. She hesitantly stepped back towards him, still peering down at the dark shape floating in the bottom of the pool.

"It looks like…" She said, her face paling. Her eyes widened. "Wait…"

"Nicole Alaina Stantz…I said to _get down!_ " Ray said angrily. She raised her brown eyes to him in surprise. She backed away along the diving board another foot or so, nearing the solid ground.

"You know, using my full name won't get me to move any faster…" She said under her breath. She turned slowly around and stepped off the board. That was when everything started to move in slow motion.

As soon as the weight of her right foot had been lifted from the diving board she felt a strong force slam into her chest, sending her sprawling backwards. Her hands flew out in front of her, clawing for something to grab onto. Ray's furious expression was immediately washed over with one of disbelief as he darted forward. Winston tossed the PKE meter to the ground behind him and rushed forward with an arm out, but Nikki was already falling. Egon and Peter both stared in shock as the girl fell silently into the glowing pool behind her, the water not even making a splash as her body broke through the surface.

* * *

Nikki's eyes flew open, the shock of the freezing water around her startling her into alertness. She looked around confusedly before realizing that she had fallen into the glowing pool. Her heart twisted in her chest as she remembered the dark shape she had seen in the center of it and she burst into action, clawing her way up to the surface.

The ghostly green glow around her seemed to dim slightly and she realized that instead of swimming upwards, she was drifting even further away from the surface. She confusedly chanced a quick glance behind her, and nearly choked out the breath she had been holding. There was a flowing dark human-like figure rising up from the depths of the pool, heading her way. She whirled back around, once more trying to propel herself upward with her scrambling arms. This time she almost seemed to be moving, the adrenaline that rushed through her veins seemingly doing its job.

Nikki's chest felt like it was close to bursting, but she refused to release what little air she had left before she broke the surface. She glanced back once more and her eyes widened. Her arms stopped moving and she froze in horror. Through the dark hair floating around her face, she could see that the figure had reached her. She screamed, releasing a cluster of bubbles that rose slowly to the surface as the figure latched onto her right ankle. She was pulled further down, her ankle pulsing in pain as something sharp broke through her skin. Dark spots flickered through her vision and she could feel her limbs growing weaker as she tried to fight without oxygen. The cold chill of the water seeped through the layers of clothing she wore and within seconds, the green glow around her faded to darkness.


	7. Dark Figures

Ray, Egon, Peter and Winston all stood around the edge of the pool, staring down in disbelief at the unmoving water where Nikki had disappeared.

 _"_ _Nikki!"_ Ray shouted, breaking the worried silence.

It was nearly impossible to see through the murky glow of the water. After a few seconds of waiting for Nikki to resurface, Ray shook his head and hurriedly started unhooking the proton pack from his back.

"I can't believe this." He muttered, setting the proton pack on one of the patio tables behind him.

"What, that she fell?" Peter asked.

"She deliberately jumped into that pool!" Ray said, rolling up the sleeves of his jumpsuit.

"You know she didn't do anything like that, Ray! We were all watching her – she was trying to get down!" Winston protested.

"Ray, what are you doing? You're not-" Peter said slowly, eyeing the glowing pool warily.

"I'm going in after her." Ray said, a tight expression on his face.

"Ray this looks really dangerous-" Egon had picked up Nikki's PKE meter from where Winston had dropped it and was staring wide eyed at the screen in front of him.

"I don't care." Ray said, shaking his head. His face was wrought with frustration as he neared the edge of the pool.

"According to these readings, that pool is radiating with enough psychokinetic energy to level the city!" Egon said.

"Ray, think for a second…we'll get a cable or something, tie it to the back of the car and get her out that way…" Winston suggested quickly.

"There's no time!" Ray exclaimed. He glanced back at the other three Ghostbusters, and then shrugged as he nodded past the fence where the Ecto-1 lay behind them. "If I'm not back in one minute, then you can try your idea."

Ray turned and faced the glowing pool of water warily. Before he could stop and rethink it, he leapt into the frigid water.

Ignoring the shock of cold that met his body, he swam down towards where he could hazily see Nikki lying near the bottom of the pool, unmoving. Ray hurried to reach her, nearly blinded by the strange green glow that surrounded him. The dizzying motion of the water seemed to try to divert him from where he was trying to go and he could see vague shapes flying by in the corner of his vision. Despite the unsettling feeling, he pressed on knowing that he didn't have much longer.

When he had finally reached the bottom of the pool, he grabbed on to the sleeve of Nikki's jumpsuit and turned to swim back upward. Before he could move, he was pulled back down by a strong force. Ray glanced down and realized that she was somehow weighted down to the bottom of the pool. He looked around hurriedly, and then grabbed her around the waist in an attempt to get better leverage. He then turned and kicked off of the bottom of the pool with Nikki in his arms.

"Ray!" Peter exclaimed in relief as he reached for his friend's hand when he broke the surface of the water.

Ray lifted Nikki's head above the water and pushed her in Peter's direction towards the edge of the pool. Peter and Winston both took the girl by her shoulders and carefully dragged her out of the frigid water onto the patio a few feet away. Egon was already helping Ray out of the pool by the time they turned back around.

"She's hurt!" Peter said, noticing that her right tennis shoe was missing. The leg of her Ghostbusters uniform was torn off jaggedly below the knee, as were her jeans underneath. Deep razor-like cuts were etched into her bare ankle, dark red blood pouring from the wounds.

"That's it…" Ray gasped, collapsing onto the cement, his frozen limbs numb as they met the cool December air.

"What?" Winston asked worriedly. Ray pointed to where Peter was looking over Nikki as she lay on the ground.

"She's going home… _now_."

* * *

A dark figure rose up out of the water as the man and his daughter were pulled free of the frigid depths. It watched with amusement as the father's rage overtook him.

"Ray, hold on a second. Don't let your anger-" Egon started to console his colleague but Ray shook his head.

"No…I knew this was going to happen! I should have…never agreed to-"

"Don't say something you're gonna regret, Ray…" Peter said, his voice sounding strangely quiet as he still crouched over Nikki.

"…to let her come back." Ray finished. The figure raised a dark eyebrow at the man's icy tone. Peter looked hurriedly up at Ray, his eyes sad.

"Winston, go get that blanket from the back of the car," Egon said gently. As the other man hurried back to the fence and toward the car, Egon knelt next to Nikki to examine her bleeding leg. Over his shoulder, he called back out to Winston. "…And something to stop this bleeding!"

"You're not gonna send her home like this, are you Ray?" Peter said gently, trying to change his friend's mind. Ray frowned and, shivering with the cold, he turned away.

"I – I don't know. What if this happens again?" He blurted out. Peter looked up at Ray's emotional tone.

"Ray, this was an _accident_ –"

"She was the one who chose to climb onto that diving board. How can I know for sure that she won't decide to do something else reckless while she's here?" Ray said, his voice low. His arms were crossed over his chest in an attempt to stifle the tremors shaking through his body.

Unseen by the Ghostbusters, the dark figure smirked at their bickering. They were too busy arguing over the matter that they had completely dismissed the fact that the girl wasn't breathing just a mere few feet away from them.

"She's a kid!" Peter exclaimed as he faced his friend above him with his jaw set firmly. Ray turned on him with sad eyes.

"I know she is – that's why I want her to make it to adulthood! I'm sending her home!"

"Winston, could you hurry up with that blanket please?!" Egon called, interrupting the bickering between his colleagues. He had his hands pressed against Nikki's ankle, blood seeping through his fingers.

The dark figure glanced down at its hand, where the girl's blood had stained its own clawed fingers. Its eyes drifted back down to her unconscious form on the cold cement ground. It flew down slowly to where the girl lay, surrounded by the worried men. The girl's face grew paler by the second, the life draining out of her body. The figure stared levelly at the unconscious girl and reached a shadowy hand out in front of her.

* * *

Nikki suddenly jolted to life choking out lungfuls of water, rolling over as her body was wracked with painful spasms. She coughed until her throat was raw and then she collapsed to the patio beneath her.

"…did you hear me, Nikki?" Ray was saying as her mind tuned back in to the present. A dull throbbing in her ankle caused her to wince in pain. She slowly lifted her head and coughed before answering.

"W-what?"

"I said, you're going home – right now!" He exclaimed angrily. She shook her head and tried to lift herself off of the patio. Peter and Egon crouched over her, steadying her movements.

"Wh- why?" She protested. She looked up at Peter and Egon's worried faces above her.

"Are you serious?" Ray scoffed.

"Ray! Easy…" Winston tried to reason with his colleague as he jogged up to the group with a large blanket and handful of work rags in his arms.

"Are you alright, Nikki?" Egon asked worriedly before Ray could continue his confrontation. Egon wrapped the heavy blanket around her shoulders and she suddenly realized that she was numb with the cold.

"I…don't know…" She said, her teeth chattering as she clutched the blanket tightly around herself.

"What were you thinking?" Ray asked. She glanced up at him, noticing that he was soaking wet too. Her eyes lowered to the ground as she fell into silence, trembling.

"What happened to you?" Egon asked, looking at her leg. Her gaze landed on what looked like blood-soaked rags that Peter was pressing against her ankle. Immediately, her heart started hammering fearfully in her chest.

"There was – something down there…" She raised her quivering arm from under the blanket and pointed at the pool that still glowed weakly a few feet away. As the Ghostbusters turned to look where she was pointing, a strange bubbling rose up from the center of the pool.

"Something's happening –!" Winston called out, drawing his proton thrower and charging it up in anticipation. Peter too, stood up and reached for his thrower.

"What the-" Peter said under his breath, confusion etched on his face. The water churned and swirled towards the center. Nikki leaned forward, eyes wide as she watched fearfully. Egon held her back carefully as the ground started to rumble.

"Stand back!" Ray called out. Winston and Peter both backed away as the water continued to swirl down.

"It's…draining," Winston said confusedly after a moment. Ray peered down and could see that the pool now only contained about half of the water it had previously been filled with. Nikki trembled with cold and attempted to move towards the pool.

"Nikki, what are you doing?" Egon asked, still holding her shoulders so as to shield her. She looked around him at the disappearing water.

"I saw-"

"What is that?!" Winston shouted over the sound of the rumbling ground. He stood on the edge of the pool next to Peter and Ray. Nikki strained to see past them from where she still lay on the ground.

"It looks like a portal…" Ray said slowly. Peter charged up his thrower.

"Then if anything comes out, we'll get it." He muttered.

"I don't think anything is going to come out…" Winston said after a few more seconds.

"That's where the water's going." Ray confirmed. The rumbling intensified and Nikki clung to Egon's arms, terrified. A bright green flash threw the three standing Ghostbusters back a few feet and then there was silence. The glowing water was gone.

"…Is it over?" Winston asked, still holding his thrower at the ready. Ray slowly turned back towards Egon and Nikki, his face masked with a neutral expression.

"It seems to be." Ray said as he reached Nikki's side and knelt next to her. She remained in silence, sensing the anger that was all but radiating from him. "Come on, Nikki. We need to get you to a hospital. And then I'm putting you on a plane myself. You're going home."

Ray hoisted her up carefully with Egon's help. Balancing on her left foot, she limped between the two Ghostbusters back across the patio and towards the Ecto-1. Tears streamed down her already drenched face and she shivered uncontrollably.

"I can't go home." She said through her chattering teeth. Ray bent and opened the back door of the car.

"Why not?" He asked. She met his gaze, her eyes red from crying.

"There's no one there. Mom won't get back from her honeymoon until late next week." She said firmly. Ray blinked and hesitated a moment as he stared at the cold expression she gave him.

"Then...as soon as she gets back, you're gone." He said slowly.

Nikki looked away from him and shrugged out of the blanket, sliding into the backseat of the car. Ray held the blanket in his hand and stared at Egon who shook his head slowly.

"You need to keep warm until we can get you to the hospital." Ray said, his voice slightly gentler. Nikki was already pressed up against the window far away from where Egon and Ray stood outside the car.

"I'll be fine." She said. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was visibly shaking with the cold from her soaking wet layers of clothes.

"Nikki…" Egon tried to reason with her. Nikki shook her head.

"Dad obviously got soaked too, why doesn't he take it?" She asked icily. Ray sighed.

"If you get sick, I don't want to hear you complaining." Ray said, tossing the blanket into her lap before ducking into the seat next to her.

"I'll drive." Winston quietly offered as he carried Ray's proton pack to the car. Egon nodded and shut the door on the drenched Ghostbuster and his daughter before helping Winston and Peter load the rest of the equipment into the back of the car.


	8. Nikki's Cold

**Haven't heard much feedback from anyone on this story, so I hope everything is sounding okay to everyone. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how it should go, I'm always eager for suggestions! :D**

Later that afternoon, Ray ushered his daughter into his apartment after visiting the hospital for their possible cases of hypothermia. Both had been released after being looked over with no serious damage, other than having Nikki's leg bandaged up. Luckily she had needed no stiches, though the cuts were unnaturally deep. Hal met them at the door, meowing pleadingly at Nikki who stooped slightly to nudge him away from her injured leg before he could rub against it. Ray sighed uncomfortably as he watched Nikki's cold reaction to her cat.

"Okay…so…I guess just try to take it easy. The doctors said that it may take some time to feel the actual effects of-"

"I heard them, Dad." Nikki said softly.

"Right." He said quickly. He studied her for a long moment before speaking again. "Do you…want to talk?"

Nikki hesitated and slowly looked up at him. She looked on the verge of saying something before lowering her gaze back to the floor and shaking her head.

"…No. I think I'll go take a hot shower to try to warm up. I'm…I'm tired." She said slowly, not meeting his gaze.

"Well…if you do feel like it…I'm right here." He offered. She nodded and then limped to her bedroom with her arms still wrapped around herself to ward off the cold that still chilled her. Before she reached her door, she paused with her back to Ray who still watched her silently. After a moment she slowly turned back to him, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Dad…I'm sorry. I didn't know that I…" She began. Ray stared at her.

"What made you think that climbing over that malicious glowing pool was a good idea?" He asked her. She bit her lip and clutched her arms closer to herself.

"I don't know…I figured that nothing really was happening besides the water just… _glowing_ …so I thought I could just hop up there, get a reading and get down." She said softly. Ray shook his head.

"But that's _not_ what you did. You hesitated. Why was that?" He asked, his voice a little sharper. She raised her guarded eyes to him warily.

"Because I saw something." She said firmly. Ray rolled his eyes and turned away from her.

"You've got to be a little less vague than that, Nikki."

"I'm being serious, Dad, please listen to me." She said, moving quickly into his line of vision. Her eyes were pleading. "Don't you remember when I was little, and I would see things that you or Mom couldn't?"

Ray looked down at his daughter, who swayed slightly on her feet as she waited for his reaction. Her eyes glistened with tears of exhaustion and she looked away from his critical gaze hurriedly.

"Nikki, what are you talking about?" He asked after a few seconds. She wiped her eyes and then turned away from him.

"I guess it's nothing." She said as she headed back in the direction of her room, Hal following close behind.

* * *

Nikki stayed buried beneath her covers well into the late morning the next day, with Hal sleeping curled up at her feet. She dreaded the thought of even getting up, because she knew her father would still be upset with yesterday's accident. She still felt slightly chilled and she could also feel that her throat was sore…evidence that she would most likely suffer from a cold for the next few days. When the sun rose, and the light shone brightly through her window, she finally decided that she couldn't put off the confrontation anymore.

She threw her blankets off of her and slipped out of her room. She quietly headed for the kitchen in search of something to eat, having had nothing since lunch the previous day. She found a box of granola bars lying on the countertop in the kitchen, looking as if it had just been opened. She quietly took one out and started nibbling on it as she carefully scanned the rest of the apartment, looking warily for her father. Seeing no sign of him after a few seconds of looking, she found a scribbled note hanging on the fridge, saying that he had left for work and that he would be back to check on her later.

"Nice. Guess he just didn't want to be stuck here with me all day." Nikki muttered to herself as she grabbed another granola bar and headed for the living room.

She flopped onto the couch and turned on the television, deciding that she would try to entertain herself for a bit. She sat there flipping aimlessly through channels for about an hour, eventually shutting it off when she couldn't find anything interesting to watch.

By that time, the soreness in her throat had spread and her sinuses gave her a splitting headache. She groaned as she realized that her cold was finally hitting her. She sighed as she hurried to the kitchen for the last of the orange juice, hoping that some Vitamin-C would ward the cold off. She opened the fridge and was dismayed to find that the quarter of a bottle was gone.

"That's great, Dad…" She muttered, settling for a glass of water instead. She looked in the cabinets for anything that resembled cold medicine but found nothing. Apparently her dad never got sick enough to keep anything in stock. She sniffled and sighed as she headed back to her room.

She downed the rest of her water glass, and then snuggled back underneath her covers, pulling them closer around her as a chill spread through her body. At the foot of her bed, Hal stretched and gave Nikki a lazy look before crawling up to where she stroked him soothingly. She sighed and, knowing that she would never get back to sleep feeling so terribly, she opened the ghost story book that she kept by her bed and decided to read until her dad came home.

* * *

"Nikki? You awake in there?"

Nikki slowly raised her head off of her pillow, having seemingly fallen asleep while reading. Her book still lay by her hand, open to where she had stopped. She cleared her throat and coughed a few times.

"…You alright?" The voice called gently. She rubbed the sleep out of her face and then cleared her throat again.

"Yes." She said, her voice a little hoarse. She reached for the glass of water by her bed and then grimaced as she remembered that she had already finished it. She sat up as her bedroom door was gently pushed open and Peter stuck his head in. She blinked in confusion at him as he slipped into her room.

"Hey Little Stantz," He said gently. "How are you feeling?"

Nikki pulled her comforter closer around her, another cold chill passing over her. She shrugged and sniffled.

"Of course he would send someone else in here instead of coming to check on me himself." She said coldly. Peter cringed at her harsh words and nodded.

"I figured you would have a cold after your swim yesterday. I brought you a few things to help you feel better." He said, as he produced a shopping bag from behind his back. He pulled out a brand new container of orange juice and set a box of tissues by her bed. "And…this is already open because Ray took his dose at the firehouse, but he's sent you some cold meds too."

"Thanks, Uncle Pete." She smiled wearily. "So I take it he's still at work?"

"Yeah…" He said as he opened the orange juice and poured some into her cup by her bed. She picked up the glass and took a few gulps, hesitant as the liquid touched her sore throat. "That man refuses to leave work for any reason."

"Oh," She said once she'd downed almost half of her glass.

"He's also not good with situations like this." He added slowly with a shrug.

"He used to be." Nikki said softly. Peter tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"He did?"

"I remember I was really sick when I was little. He would make sure I got every dose of medicine, he would put cool washcloths on my forehead to keep the fever down, and he would read to me until I fell asleep. Most of the time, he'd always get sick from how much time he spent caring for me…but he didn't seem to mind." Nikki's face was distant as she remembered. She lowered her gaze to the orange juice in her hand and ran her finger along the side of the glass thoughtfully.

"That's sweet," Peter smiled down at her from where he stood next to her bed. "It's good that you can remember back that far."

"We were so close. I thought coming back up here…we would be able to pick up right where we left off. But…it's not like that now. I feel like he doesn't know me anymore." She said.

"Well, it _has_ been a while…" Peter said. Nikki shook her head.

"I used to tell him that I saw ghosts…and he believed me. He loved listening to my stories every night. But then once we moved, and I started writing to him, it's like he didn't take me seriously. And then…he just stopped writing." She said. She raised the glass to her mouth and swallowed past the lump in her throat.

"So…you used to see ghosts?" Peter asked confusedly. Nikki looked up at him, noticing his serious glance. She nodded.

"I still do."

Peter looked at the girl carefully and folded his arms across his chest. He scoffed, thinking that she was making a joke but then he caught her narrow-eyed stare. His smile fell and he waited patiently for her to explain.

"When my mom took me to live with her mother down in Virginia, she thought we could start new. I was away from dad, and away from his ghost talk, but…it didn't matter where I was, because there are ghosts _everywhere._ I would see them at school, and the kids would laugh at me. I saw them in public and I embarrassed Mom on several occasions." Nikki shook her head. "I was in second grade when she started taking me to this psychiatrist and every time I went in, he would ask me about the 'ghosts' I'd seen. I would talk to him just like I used to talk to Dad about them because I was a kid and I didn't know that everything I told him, he would write down."

"Yeah…I know how that goes. I've got a degree in psychology." Peter said softly. Nikki's gaze rested on him for a moment as she hesitated to tell him anymore. He realized why she had stopped and sat on the end of her bed with a reassuring look in his eyes. "But I'm not going to tell anyone else if you don't want me to."

"When I was old enough to realize why Mom kept taking me there every week, I made up a story about how I couldn't see the ghosts anymore. That eventually seemed to settle it, and it also put mom at ease, I think. But the ghosts didn't go away." She continued softly. Peter regarded the girl carefully, seeing the haunted look in her dark eyes.

"What do these ghosts do? Do you just see them or what?"

"They talk to me. I try not to make eye contact as often as I can, but they look just like regular people to me. Sometimes it's hard to tell who's alive and who's not." She explained. She downed the rest of her orange juice and reached for the cold medicine that Peter had put on her nightstand.

"And Ray knows about this?" Peter asked, watching as she measured out her dose of medicine and took it with a cringe at the taste. She poured another glass of orange juice and took a few swallows before answering.

"He used to. There was a ghost in our apartment when I was little and I talked to him. Dad did sometimes to, but he might have just been pretending to keep me entertained. His name was Edward." She smiled slightly at the memory. Peter shook his head in disbelief.

"Wow. So Ray's daughter is a psychic. Who would've guessed?" He muttered. She raised her gaze to him carefully.

"I'm afraid to tell him though. I'm worried that he'll…"

"You're scared that he'll put you away like Meredith did." Peter finished for her.

She stopped and nodded solemnly, leaning back against her pillows. Her brown eyes were pleading as she looked up at him.

"Ray isn't like your mother – I mean, look at what he does for a living. I think he'll understand." Peter said reassuringly. She shook her head.

"I tried to tell him last night about what I saw in that pool yesterday. But he –"

"You saw something in the pool? What was it?" Peter interrupted, suddenly alert. She looked up at him in surprise.

"I'm not sure, it just looked like a dark human shape. I saw it at first while I was looking out over the water on the diving board. And then when I fell, it was so close…" She breathed. She glanced down at the blankets concealing her injured leg. Peter followed her gaze and gently lifted the blanket to expose her bandaged ankle.

"Are you saying that a _ghost_ did this to you?" He asked seriously. She nodded briefly and Peter straightened up to stand. "Nikki, we've got to tell Ray and Egon…we haven't encountered something this powerful since Gozer or Vigo…"

Nikki lunged across the bed to stop him before he could leave the room. Peter stopped and looked down at her worriedly.

"Little Stantz, relax." He said, gently taking her hand and removing her grip from his elbow. "We see ghosts all the time. I'm sure it might be a little different than how you say they appear to you, but if you saw something, then I believe you. They need to know so that we can track anything else that pops up."

"You won't tell them that I'm…" She started. Peter smiled and shook his head.

"I'll only tell them enough so that they know what to look out for." He reassured her. Nikki nodded and watched as he stroked Hal's head from where the cat still lay at the end of her bed.

"Thank you," She said as Peter headed for the door. He turned back to her with a raised eyebrow. "…for the talk."

"No problem, kid." He smiled. Nikki smirked as he shut the door, and then a few minutes later, the door to the apartment shut as well. She settled back into her covers, willing the cold medicine to kick in and do its job.


	9. The Results of Cabin Fever

**I'm getting a little slow at my writing lately, guys. Hopefully I can get it moving a little quicker soon...I've got so many ideas on how it's going to be going!**

 **I probably should have added this first little part to the previous chapter, but by the time I had written it, it was too late. So, hope you'll forgive me for that! :D**

 **Like I said before, I'm always eager for questions, ideas, or even suggestions! I need all the help I can get so please don't be shy! Thanks! :D**

Nikki awoke later that evening to the apartment door closing. She opened her eyes, still groggy from the medicine and heard her father quietly knock on her bedroom door. She pulled the blankets up close to her face as he entered, pretending to still be asleep. He studied her warily for a moment before crossing the room to her nightstand for the cold medicine. He seemed to hesitate for a moment as if trying to decide whether or not to wake her up.

"Nikki?" He said quietly after a moment. She slowly pulled the blankets down away from her face, blinking slowly like she was just waking up. He smiled halfheartedly down at her and gestured over his shoulder towards the door. "I brought home some soup. Chicken noodle, from the diner down the street."

"Thanks, Dad." She said softly. She noticed that it was nearly dark outside from the colorful sunset reflecting through her window. She tossed her blankets off of herself, which roused Hal. The cat stretched lazily and then leapt down from the bed and stalked silently to his food bowl in the corner of her room by her bathroom door.

"How's your leg?" Ray asked as she shakily stood up. She hesitantly flexed it, wincing at the soreness that it caused.

"…Little sore." She admitted. Ray nodded.

"You can take some pain reliever along your cold medicine when you take your next dose." He said gently.

She followed him out of her bedroom and to the kitchen where a takeout bag lay on the counter. She smiled as Ray pulled out two containers of steaming hot soup and set one in front of her. She hopped onto one of the barstools as he pulled another one up to the counter across from her.

"Peter came by this afternoon. Were you awake for that?" He asked after a moment.

"He made sure that I was." She smirked. Ray rolled his eyes.

"Of course he did." Ray said. He nodded silently and they ate a few more mouthfuls of soup before they said anything else.

"Catch any ghosts today?" Nikki asked casually. Ray shook his head.

"No. Egon and I went back to meet the man with the pool from yesterday. We also wanted to check back and see if there was any change from how we left the pool, which there wasn't." He explained. "Winston and Peter stayed around headquarters for most of the day. Except of course, when Peter offered to stop by and check on you."

"That was nice of him." She said, eyeing her father carefully. He wouldn't meet her gaze but there was some expression of sadness in his features.

"You caught him on one of his rare occasions." He said jokingly. Nikki shook her head in silent amusement. After a few moments, his attitude turned somber. "We've got a call to go on first thing in the morning. So…you might be home alone again for the majority of the day."

"That's alright. I need to get over this cold as quickly as possible anyway so I don't waste anymore of my time here." Nikki shrugged. She spooned another helping of the broth into her mouth. "This soup really hits the spot, Dad. Thank you."

Ray smiled wearily and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I would have made it myself but…I figured you would like some dinner before next week." He joked.

Nikki smirked and they both fell back into silence, finishing their bowls of soup after several long minutes. They each took another dose of cold medicine and parted ways for the night, Ray to the living room to doze in front of the television and Nikki to her room to read for a few hours before dozing off herself.

* * *

Nikki awoke the next morning feeling considerably better than she had previously. Hal was already awake and sitting next to her bed in the windowsill, staring outside at the busy streets down below. She smiled at him and rubbed his ears which caused him to purr loudly. She stretched and could feel how stiff her muscles were from doing next to nothing the day before as she slept her cold away.

"I can't stay here all day again." She muttered to herself as she stood up and headed to her bathroom to shower.

A little over an hour later, Nikki was walking out of Ray's apartment building bundled in her black dress coat and a pair of black heeled boots – the only other pair of shoes she owned since she'd lost one of her tennis shoes in the glowing swimming pool. Her brown hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she tugged her coat closer around herself, surprised at how cold it had already gotten. Though it was nearly the middle of December, she wasn't used to being up north during the colder season.

She could see the Ghostbusters firehouse towering a few blocks down the street and she shook her head at herself as she looked away. Knowing that her father had said they would be gone for most of the day, she decided to pick up a coffee and then go and chat with Janine for a while. She turned into the little coffee shop that the secretary had recommended to her and found it to be unsurprisingly crowded inside. She waited in line to place her order of coffee and then headed to a small table that looked out the large coffee shop window.

"Is this seat taken?"

Nikki glanced up to see a tall young man standing next to her table and gesturing at the chair across from her. He was tall, wearing a thin black jacket with dark hair that curled over his ears in small waves. His eyes were dark green and he smiled in amusement at her surprise.

"I'm…I'm sorry?" She asked quickly.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" He asked again. Nikki blinked hurriedly and then nodded, straightening herself.

"Oh…yes. I mean, no. I mean…" Nikki closed her eyes for a second in embarrassment. "You can sit there."

The boy smiled down at her before taking the seat in front of her and leaning back against the chair casually. Nikki felt her cheeks grow warm and she turned to glance out the window next to her.

"It's getting cold out. Surprised it hasn't snowed yet." He said in an attempt to make conversation with her. Nikki stared up at the sky thoughtfully and nodded.

"Where I live, it doesn't snow very often. Not as often as I hear that it does here, anyway." She replied softly.

"You must be Dr. Ray Stantz's daughter." He said, staring at her. Nikki swung her gaze to him guardedly.

"How did you know?" She asked hesitantly. He smiled.

"You look like him. I also haven't seen you around here before, so I figured you must be visiting with him. When you said that bit about not being from around here, that confirmed it." He said. Nikki raised her eyebrows and nodded.

"I'm Nicole," She said, offering him her hand across the table. "But everyone just calls me Nikki."

"Shawn Barlow." He said as he shook her hand. He rolled his eyes humoredly at her reaction to his last name. "Yeah, it's a family name. It's pretty weird."

"Sounds interesting, actually." Nikki said. His gaze landed on her and he smiled shyly. She glanced back at the counter and could see that one of the workers was waving at her with a coffee in her hand. "Oh! Um…excuse me. My coffee's ready."

Shawn nodded and she quickly stood up to go and retrieve her drink, warming her hands on the cup as she headed back to the table.

"So, you're a coffee drinker huh?" He asked, leaning his elbows on the table. She smirked as she took a hesitant sip of the steaming hot drink.

"Yeah. I don't sleep well so this helps sometimes." She admitted. He tilted his head to the side intrigued.

"That makes sense." He said. She shrugged.

"You don't like coffee?" Nikki asked after a moment, noticing that he didn't have a beverage or anything on the table in front of himself. He glanced down and shook his head.

"No, not a big fan." He said. She blinked and then looked around the coffee shop amusedly.

"Then what are you doing in here?" She asked, laughing lightly. He smirked and looked up at her once more.

"I saw a pretty girl walk in and thought that I just had to meet her." He said softly.

Nikki's eyes widened and her mouth opened to try and form a response. She felt the color heat her cheeks once more and he seemed to notice her reaction because his smile widened.

"…Too dramatic?" He asked. Nikki studied him confusedly and he laughed before explaining himself. "You looked like the type who needed some cheering up. Not working?"

"Oh." She said slowly, tucking a stray strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail back behind her ear. "No, it was working fine. Just took me by surprise, is all."

Shawn smiled at her, waiting patiently as she took another hesitant sip of her coffee. Nikki glanced down at the table before raising her gaze back to him curiously.

"What made you think I needed cheering up?"

"Well, don't you?" He asked. She felt her gaze falter and she swung her gaze at the busy street outside the window.

"I don't…I don't really think I should just open up to a stranger about it…" She said, laughing uncomfortably. Shawn smiled and waved a hand at her.

"I understand. Just thought I'd put it on the table." He said gently.

Nikki smiled in surprise at his kind gesture. The boy didn't know her, and yet he was reaching out to her. She lowered her gaze back to the table and held her hand over the top of her coffee cup letting the steam warm her palm.

"Like you said…I'm just…visiting my father. But…something happened at work and suddenly he's in a rush to send me home early. I was going to surprise him and tell him that this was really more of a test to see if I even liked staying in New York with him. I finally got my mother to agree to the possibility of letting me stay more permanently here. But…I don't think I'm going to get that chance now." She slowly explained. Shawn studied her with understanding in his eyes.

"Wow. I'm…not sure what to tell you on that one." He said slowly. Nikki slumped her shoulders, suddenly feeling self-conscious that she'd even decided to open up to this stranger.

"I'm sorry…" She said uncomfortably. She bit her lip and looked down into her coffee.

"I don't really…know your dad, but all of the Ghostbusters seem to be pretty decent guys. Why don't you just talk to him?" Shawn suggested lightly. Nikki eyed him carefully.

"What would I say? 'Hi Dad, I know you said that you don't want me around anymore, but guess what? I actually came here to see if I could stay a while longer!' I don't think he'd go for it…" Nikki said sarcastically. She sighed and took another sip of her coffee.

"You never know." Shawn said, smiling slightly. Nikki glanced up at him halfheartedly.

"Does that work for you and your parents?" She asked. He shrugged after a moment.

"My parents are dead, actually." He said nonchalantly. Nikki's eyes widened and she scrambled to apologize.

"Oh, I'm – I'm so sorry. I didn't…"

"I know you didn't, I didn't mention it. I mean, we did just meet and that's not really the first thing you tell somebody." He said gently.

"Neither is unloading your personal problems like I just did." Nikki smiled sheepishly. She clutched her coffee cup tightly and smiled. "So where do you stay since…are you alone?"

"I have some friends that I stay with. We share an apartment a few blocks down." He shrugged. "It's across from the big cemetery down the street, but the rent is cheap so we overlook the view."

"That's funny that you mentioned that…I kinda had wanted to look through the cemeteries before I leave. Care to show me around one day?" Nikki asked hopefully. Shawn smiled and nodded excitedly.

"I'd like that. How about we say tomorrow afternoon sometime?" He suggested.

"Sure, that sounds great." Nikki smiled. She stood up with her half-finished coffee and walked with Shawn to the door.

"So, where should I pick you up? The Ghostbusters' building?" He teased lightly, noticing that was the direction they were heading. Nikki glanced down the street at the towering firehouse and shook her head.

"I'll meet you at the cemetery tomorrow around one, how's that?" She asked. Shawn shrugged as he walked alongside her in the direction of the firehouse.

"Sounds fair to me." He agreed.

Nikki walked with him in silence for a moment and found herself wincing as her injured foot felt tight in the boot as she walked. Shawn noticed.

"Are you alright? You seem kind of like you're in pain." He said lightly, glancing down as he saw her slight limp. Nikki self-consciously tried to hide the fact that she was hurt.

"I just need to get a more comfortable pair of shoes before we go cemetery hunting." She joked lightly. Shawn smirked and shoved his hands into his coat pockets as they grew closer to the Ghostbusters' firehouse.

"Well, I hope everything goes well with your dad." He said, hanging back as they reached the corner where the building stood over them. She smiled wearily at him before heading towards the large door.

"Thanks." Nikki said, feeling herself blush again. "It was nice meeting you!"

Shawn gave her a little wave as she opened the door and disappeared into the firehouse.

"Hi Nikki! Who was that?" Janine asked as she glanced up in surprise from where she was busily shuffling through the filing cabinets behind her desk. Nikki smiled shyly as she walked past the empty space where the Ecto-1 was usually parked.

"Just someone I met at the coffee shop you recommended." Nikki said, trying to tone down her excitement. Janine grinned up at the girl.

"Ah, so you're feeling better now it sounds like?" The secretary asked knowingly.

"A little bit. How was Dad this morning?" She asked. Janine shrugged, still rummaging in the cluttered drawers of the filing cabinets.

"He's still a little under the weather it sounded like, but I think that's because he didn't give himself the day off like you did." She said. "He'll be fine though in a few days, don't worry."

"I'm sure he will." Nikki said softly. "Well…do you need any help around here?"

"I'm just reorganizing a few things, but thanks for offering." Janine smiled and her eyes twinkled knowingly behind her huge glasses. "Cabin fever got to you, huh?"

"Yeah, a little bit." Nikki admitted. "I decided I'm going to go shopping for a new pair of shoes…these are pretty painful with my sore ankle and all. You need anything while I'm out?"

Janine nodded understandingly, which Nikki took to mean that Ray had told her all about the incident.

"No, you go do your thing. Take care!" Janine said, waving as Nikki headed back the way she'd come. Nikki smiled as she thought of the next day's coming adventure of visiting the cemetery with Shawn. If Ray was going to send her home as fast as he could, she was just going to have to make the rest of her visit in New York a memorable one.


	10. Cemetery Walk

**Hello! I'm going to apologize in advance for this chapter... I know it's short and once you read it, it might seem like it's moving a little too fast, so I'm sorry if it comes off that way. I'm REALLY self conscious about my stories so I ran the idea of this chapter by one of my close friends, but he wasn't much help so I decided to just throw it up here and see where the rest of the story goes. But I'm always eager to listen to ideas or suggestions from you guys! :)**

Nikki headed down the street the next afternoon after seeing her dad off to work with another of her home-cooked brunches. Though it wasn't much past 12, she couldn't contain her excitement about seeing Shawn Barlow again.

Bundled in her black coat and a new purple scarf she had found along with some new more comfortable shoes, Nikki reached the cemetery gates a little before 12:30. She pushed open the metal gate with a loud creak and walked inside, curiosity getting the better of her. She walked down a few rows glancing at the gravestones she passed by with interest, searching for any names that she recognized from the New York ghost story books she had read over the years.

"You're here already!"

Nikki nearly jumped out of her skin as she rounded a corner and came face to face with Shawn. She staggered back quickly as his voice broke the silence, wincing as she nearly tripped when she put too much weight on her injured ankle. Shawn grabbed her elbow and caught her with a laugh.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He said apologetically. Nikki hesitantly stood back and smiled, her heart fluttering.

"It's alright. I just didn't hear you come in." She said, gesturing back at the old gate behind her. Shawn smirked.

"How do you know I wasn't already in here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow mysteriously.

"Good point." Nikki laughed and moved past him to continue walking down the cemetery path. He followed close behind her, silent as they walked along the old headstones, every once in a while pausing at one. After a moment, Shawn broke the lighthearted silence.

"So is this what you like to do back home – walk through graveyards in your spare time?" He asked, smiling. Nikki found herself blushing as she glanced down at the walkway in front of her.

"No…I guess you could say it's like a hobby. I always have liked all things paranormal…if that's how you'd say it. Sorry – that sounds weird." She quickly stopped herself. Shawn laughed.

"No it's not! Different maybe, but not weird." He smiled at her reassuringly and she found herself struggling to elaborate.

"My dad raised me on ghost stories and stuff like that. Mom didn't approve so she moved me away…but that didn't stop me from still wanting to learn more about the supernatural. Halloween was still always my favorite time of year." She blurted out.

"Mine too. Like I can be myself for that one night a year." Shawn agreed. Nikki smiled up at him, her heart fluttering once more as she nodded in surprise.

"Yeah…my thoughts exactly."

Nikki walked alongside Shawn as they rounded another corner, getting into the older section of the cemetery, crowded with larger headstones and aboveground tombs.

"So…did you get a chance to talk to your dad yesterday?" Shawn asked after a moment. Nikki blinked at the change of topic and sighed heavily, her breath a small cloud in front of her in the cold air.

"No…he didn't get home until late into the afternoon. We went out to eat at some burger joint and he was pretty busy greeting his 'fans.' " She rolled her eyes with a slight smile. "Besides…he's got a cold and he was really tired. Seemed like he had a long day and I just…didn't want to start what I knew would be a continuation of our argument."

"Considerate of you," Shawn said lightly. He glanced up and pointed at a large crypt down another row of graves. "Hey…that's where my parents are buried."

"Oh." Nikki said quietly as they made their way towards the old, weather-ridden structure. They stopped on the walkway, looking at the mausoleum. His last name was etched elegantly over the doorway, and they both stared up at the stone crypt in silence.

"We're not that different, Nikki. I was brought up in nearly the same way, believing in ghosts and other planes of existence." Shawn said after a long moment.

Nikki studied him in silence, noticing his sudden somber attitude. He stepped forward and gently touched the doorframe of the stone structure.

"When I was little, my parents used to take me to these séances with relatives and family friends. I thought it was really weird at first, and I got to where I would try to expose the gimmicks that the supposed 'psychics' used to lure in all of those people every time." Shawn smirked at a distant memory.

"Not all psychics are fake." Nikki said softly with a smirk. Shawn shrugged and raised an eyebrow.

"There was this one time, when we could hear music, said to have been from the ghost we were attempting to contact. I was maybe…seven at the time, and I went behind this curtain while the rest of the table was joining hands and not paying attention to me. I found this old vintage record player back there and I started messing with the people…making the player skip and reverse and creepy stuff like that. I even got the psychic freaking out."

Nikki laughed as Shawn turned back to her and hooked his arm with hers. She brushed her long hair behind her ear as they turned to leave his family's crypt behind.

"I bet you got into a lot of trouble," She commented as they started walking again. Shawn nodded and smirked.

"It was worth it. Every time."

"I've never been to a séance before…" Nikki said slowly. Shawn stopped and looked down at her in disbelief.

"Your dad is one of the Ghostbusters, and you haven't been to a séance to see a 'real ghost' before?" He asked, amused. She smirked and shook her head.

"I didn't say that I've never seen a ghost, I just said I've never been to a séance to see one." She said quietly with a smirk. Shawn glanced down at her in surprise. Nikki's dark hair rustled in the cold breeze and she felt herself huddle closer to him as they walked.

"When I was little and still staying here in New York with Dad…we had this ghost that hung around our apartment. He would talk to me sometimes, but mostly he would just stand in a corner of my room staring out the little window across from my bed." She said. Her eyebrows knit together in thought.

"Weird." Shawn said softly. "What would he say?"

"I can't remember what exactly we would talk about…but he seemed nice for the most part. Mom or Dad couldn't seem him but whenever they would come into my room, Mr. Edward would always listen to them when they would read to me or talk to me. And it always made him sad." She said softly. Shawn smirked lightheartedly.

"Mr. Edward?" He asked, amused at the name. Nikki smiled and laughed lightly.

"Yeah, that's what I started calling him after a while. It seemed to cheer him up a little bit when I gave him a name, but he would still look down most of the time. The more I thought about it later in life, the more I came to realize that it was like he was remembering something, probably his former life or something."

Shawn stared down at Nikki thoughtfully. Nikki glanced up at him in disdain, his silence making her wish she hadn't told him anything, just like she'd felt when she had talked with Peter.

"That's…something." Shawn said.

Nikki's shoulders slumped and she felt herself unconsciously start to pull away from him. She shook her head at herself, suddenly feeling the want to go back to Ray's apartment and hide in her room for the next week until it was time to go back home.

"I can't believe I just think I can…open up to people…and…" Nikki turned away to head back the way they'd come through the cemetery. She was stopped when Shawn gently grabbed her arm.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way." He quickly explained. She looked up at him warily, her eyes shining with emotion. "Nikki…I feel like I want to know you. It intrigues me how close you seem to be with the paranormal."

"What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly. He laughed gently and gestured around himself at the surrounding cemetery.

"I mean, for our first date you chose to come to a cemetery of all places. I feel like that's not something any other normal girl would want to do. I pretended all my life to be ghosts, and you can actually _see_ them…" Shawn stepped closer to her and moved his hand down to her palm. She quickly pulled her hand out of his grasp.

"I…I don't know…" She murmured, turning away from him.

"Nikki…please." He said softly. She turned back to him, biting her lip.

"I don't even know why I agreed to come out here…Shawn…I'm not going to be here for much longer. I go home next weekend." She said. Shawn shook his head, smiling at her.

"I don't care. I want to learn more about you." He said. He took her hand once more and she reluctantly moved back towards him.

"Okay…" She finally relented, moving back into his side as they continued their walk down through the cemetery. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders reassuringly.

"What else have you seen?" He asked as they rounded another curve in the cemetery walkway.

Nikki smiled and felt a warm feeling spread through her with the thought of someone who was finally there to support her. There was no worst case scenario that could come from this relationship, other than if he decided he didn't want to see her again. And that would be easily resolved when she was sent back to her home in Virginia. For the moment, she was content to just walk through the cemetery with this newfound stranger, slowly getting to know him.


	11. Dad Talks and Tests

**Hey everybody! Just a heads up...I may not be able to keep up with updating every other day this week, because I'm going back into work finally tomorrow morning. I'm hopefully still going to have time to write, so don't worry about that! Until then, here's a special long chapter to tide ya'll over until my next update. Let me know if you have any questions, and please, please, PLEASE, review! :D**

That evening, Ray returned to his apartment and was surprised to see Nikki sitting in the living room eating a light dinner of spaghetti that she had made. Hal was perched on the arm of the couch, watching Ray with a bored look in his slitted green eyes. Nikki smiled wearily at her father as he shook off his jacket and hung it at the door.

"Hi, Dad," She said softly. Ray could see that she had all but gotten over her cold and she even had a glow about her face that showed how much better she felt. She gestured at the kitchen to his left. "The rest of the spaghetti is still warm over on the stove. I wasn't sure when you'd get home, so I just went ahead and made it."

"Oh. Well…that's sweet of you, Nikki. Your timing seemed perfect, I was about to suggest we go out for dinner again, but I really wasn't feeling it." Ray said as he headed for the kitchen. Nikki smiled and turned back to the television that was playing over the events of the day.

 _"_ _The Ghostbusters did it again…the Central Park Zoo was nearly overrun by the animals when a hostile ghost possessed the new polar bear in its exhibit. The Ghostbusters were quick to the scene and thankfully Gus the Bear is resting easily tonight…"_

"Wow Dad…you didn't tell me you were going off to fight bears today…" Nikki said surprised. She turned over the side of the couch to look at him.

"Yeah. It was definitely a pretty tough job..." He admitted. He brought his bowl of pasta over to the living room and sat in an armchair across the room from her, watching as the news report went on to show several quick clips of the Ghostbusters nodding to the crowds and taking the trap back to the famed Ecto-1 parked out in front of the zoo.

"Sounds dangerous." Nikki said. Ray smirked.

"It could've been. Luckily it was just the one bear who gave us the problem. The other animals around there were so spooked that they didn't give us or the other zoo handlers standing by any trouble." Ray explained.

"Were you scared? I know I'd probably be terrified. Polar bears can be massive!" She said in admiration.

"It's a good thing _that_ wasn't the first bust I took you on." Ray said. Nikki swung her gaze over to him, taking slight offense.

"Now Dad…you know I wouldn't have been stupid enough to do anything to get hurt in that kind of situation…" She said, trying to keep her voice even. "The pool was just an accident."

"Yeah, so I've heard." Ray said, shifting uncomfortably as he looked down at his half-eaten bowl of spaghetti in front of him. "I just don't want there to be any more accidents…"

Nikki fell into silence as she stared at the empty bowl in her lap. She set it on the coffee table in front of her and sat upright on the couch, staring at the television which had continued on with the rest of the news.

"I don't think you need to worry about me getting into any more accidents for the next week or so. I met someone." Nikki started. Ray raised an eyebrow in surprise as he ate.

"Oh? Did you go out shopping again?" He asked.

"No…I met him at the coffee shop around the corner yesterday." She said. Expecting him to throw a raging tantrum about a potential boyfriend, she watched carefully for his reaction.

"Huh. He's not one of those regular weirdos you find in coffee shops, is he?" He asked. Nikki was taken aback by his question and she quickly formed a retort.

"Um…well we met at the cemetery down the block today and walked around the whole thing this afternoon so I guess that might be considered a little weird…" She said. Ray eyed his daughter, amusement in his gaze. She felt her face get warm.

"Was this his idea or yours?" Ray asked, still staring at his daughter knowingly. When she didn't answer right away, he smirked. "I'm leaning more towards yours."

"Yeah. He was just talking about how his apartment is the one across from that big cemetery in the center of town, and that reminded me that I wanted to visit some of the really old, famous gravestones that they mention in some of the ghost lore books I've read. So that's what we did. Then we walked around town for a bit and he dropped me off back at the apartment building this afternoon." She said. Ray shrugged.

"Sounds interesting. I've done plenty of research in several of the local cemeteries around town if you'd like to look at what I have." Ray offered. Nikki smiled.

"So you're alright with me going out again tomorrow?" She paused comically and raised her hands up in a warning fashion. "There aren't any haunted cemeteries that I need to watch out for downtown, is there?"

Ray gave his daughter a deadpanned glance and she laughed quietly. She picked up her bowl from the table and took it to the kitchen to clean with some of the other dishes she had used to prepare dinner. Hal leapt down from the arm of the couch and followed her, happily twitching his tail. After a few moments, Ray brought her his bowl as well.

"How's your ankle today? Janine told me it seemed to be bothering you yesterday when she saw you." Ray said, glancing down at her bandaged foot.

"I un-bandaged it this afternoon to look at it and cleaned it some. It seems to be doing okay." Nikki said slowly. She looked away from him quickly, afraid she was about to once again mention the figure she had seen that had caused the strange slices down her leg.

"If you're going to be walking around in graveyards again tomorrow, I hope you've got some really comfortable shoes." Ray said teasingly. Nikki smirked and nodded as she finished cleaning the dishes.

"Oh, I went to several stores yesterday in search of something. I finally decided on some little flats that are kinda loose, and they didn't seem to hurt too badly when I was out today. I also bought some new tennis shoes to replace my old ones."

"Right…Egon and I checked the pool the other day. Your other shoe must have gone through the portal when the water drained." Ray said apologetically.

"Did…Peter talk to you about that?" Nikki asked hesitantly. Ray looked up, surprised at her question and her heart skipped a beat.

"He admitted that you may have really seen something down there. So…Egon's been looking for traces of psychokinetic energy matching the readings on the meter that you got back at the pool just in case. So far we haven't seen anything major. Why?"

"I just…wanted to make sure you were on the lookout for whatever was down there…" She trailed off, hoping that would be enough of an answer to satisfy him.

"We are." Ray reassured her softly. She nodded and began drying the dishes in an attempt to busy herself. "I did kinda want to talk to you about that…"

Nikki squeezed her eyes shut and felt her heart sink as she braced herself for the confrontation. She bit her lip and carefully stacked the couple of bowls on the counter and carried them to the cabinet.

"I know I probably came off as unfair when I didn't let you explain yourself earlier, but then Peter told me that I should try to listen to what you have to say and I…" Ray stopped and drummed his fingers on the counter he leaned against. "…What did you see?"

Nikki closed the cabinet above her, silently regretting that she had confided in Peter. She slowly turned around to look at her father carefully. She hesitated and pursed her lips as she returned to dry the rest of the dishes.

"It was just a…dark shape…" She said, suddenly unable to form an explanation, afraid that Ray would shoot it down.

"Alright…" Ray looked like he was trying really hard to hear her out and she continued, quickly sticking her bandaged ankle out for him to see.

"I'll prove it to you. That's how this happened. That… _thing_ …whatever I saw…did this to me." She leaned against the counter and carefully unwound the bandages from her ankle. Ray looked down at it silently, his brow etched in thought.

"How did I not notice it before?" He muttered to himself after a long moment. He gently turned her ankle to examine the five deep slices down her foreleg. "It's…like something grabbed onto your ankle and tried to hold on."

"Yeah." Nikki said slowly. She bit her lip, her heart hammering as Ray seemed to finally be taking her seriously.

"I…I'm sorry, Nikki." He admitted quietly. He looked up at her, his eyes sorrowful. She smiled, feeling her own eyes fill with tears. She quickly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"It's okay, Dad." She said. When she pulled away, she quickly started to rewind the bandages around her ankle.

"We might want to look at that again at the lab tomorrow," Ray said thoughtfully. "If what you're saying is true, then we might have another clue on how to find what did this to you…"

* * *

Nikki followed her father into the Ghostbusters' firehouse early the next morning, steeling herself for whatever explanations she would be asked to give. She hoped that she would see Peter for the chance to grill him for what he told Ray about their talk.

When Ray led her up the stairs to the second floor, Nikki was surprised to see that Egon was already hard at work in front of the computer in the makeshift lab.

"Good morning, Nikki. How are you feeling?" Egon asked, spinning around in his desk chair to greet them. Nikki smiled and nodded as she took off her coat and hung it next to the door along with her scarf.

"Fine. Dad still seems to be a little sick, but luckily I'm over my cold." She said cheerfully. Egon smirked and turned back to his computer.

"Peter's coming in late this morning, no surprise." He muttered as Ray joined him by the desk. Nikki's shoulders fell at that news, and she shuffled across the room to peer curiously over Egon's shoulder at the computer screen.

"So…have you seen anything matching the readings from the pool yet?" Nikki asked after a moment.

"Not quite," Egon replied, typing at the computer busily. Nikki bit the inside of her cheek nervously.

"We've got something we want to check, Egon." Ray explained, turning back to where Nikki stood behind him. "It's related to what Venkman told us the other day."

Ray gestured for Nikki to hop up on the pool table a few steps from the desk. She did as he directed and hesitantly slipped her right shoe off of her injured foot and began unwinding the bandage to reveal her gaping cuts.

"Take a closer look at those slices, Spengler." Ray said, folding his arms across his chest as his colleague stood and crossed over to Nikki. Egon carefully looked Nikki's ankle over and then raised an eyebrow up at Ray.

"They're in the position like the grip of a hand…" Egon murmured. Ray nodded and turned back to the desk.

"She mentioned seeing a dark figure when she fell into the pool," Ray began to explain. Nikki quickly picked up where he left off.

"It was human shaped, but I couldn't make out any facial features or anything. It just reached up for me and grabbed my leg. I tried to swim away from it, and I guess that's when this happened." Nikki said, nodding quickly at her ankle.

"This is really odd…that would probably explain the different readings I've been getting…" Egon said, as he moved past Ray and looked once more at the computer screen on the desk. "I was scanning for matching readings when you both walked in a few minutes ago and I got a little bit of something."

"Huh." Ray said thoughtfully, looking at the screen.

Nikki, still sitting on the pool table, strained to see past them. When Ray turned back to her after a few more seconds, she blinked at the PKE meter in his hand. He switched it on as he neared her and was surprised to see that the lights winked on and off dimly as he waved the device near her ankle.

"What does that…" Nikki trailed off as Ray turned to match up the results to what Egon still had up on the computer screen.

"You guys certainly are hard at work this early in the morning," Winston said as he climbed up the stairs, yawning slightly as he shook off his coat. "I went out to breakfast for just half an hour and I come back to this! Oh, hey Nikki."

"Morning," She said, smiling at the man's lighthearted rant. He joined the other two Ghostbusters who were studying the computer carefully.

"What's going on?" Winston asked.

"They're testing to see if the readings from the pool and the readings from my cuts could match so that we can find what attacked me the other day." Nikki explained. Winston cringed at the sight of the deep wounds on the girl's ankle.

"So now you're saying that you were attacked?" He asked. Nikki shrugged.

"Dad didn't really give me a chance to explain what happened before." She muttered. Winston nodded in understanding as Egon swiveled around in his chair to face Nikki, a serious look on his face.

"So you say it just manifested itself as a dark shape?" He asked her. She nodded and he blinked thoughtfully behind his glasses. "Could the vague appearance of it have anything to do with the fact that you were underwater?"

"Well…I guess…but usually when I swim with my eyes open, I can generally see if someone has a face or not." She said, light sarcasm in her voice. Egon nodded, frowning.

"It could be a class 3 haunt…but it's hard to tell without much more to go on than that." Egon murmured.

"Why would it be haunting a swimming pool, though?" Winston asked confusedly.

"Maybe someone drowned there in the past?" Nikki suggested softly. Ray shook his head.

"The owner told me that he just had it put in a few years ago. There was nothing off about it until the other day when he drained it and it just started glowing with the 'ghost water' he called it." Ray explained.

"What about that portal you saw?" Egon piped up. Ray and Winston both looked at him silently. "I didn't get to see it, but didn't you say that the water seemed to disappear into a portal?"

"Yeah…" Winston muttered, scratching the back of his head in thought.

"Maybe it had nothing at all to do with the pool itself…maybe it was the location…" Ray said slowly.

"I'll look for a map," Winston offered, going to the bookshelf over by the couch. Nikki watched him curiously.

"What would the location have to do with anything if that's the only spot something like this has shown up?" She asked. Ray took a book from Winston and started flipping through the pages searchingly.

"It's just a guess, Nikki." Ray said as he stopped on one page. He shook his head at Egon and passed the book over to him. "Doesn't seem to be any ley lines or anything major on that point…"

"That portal couldn't have taken that glowing water over to someone else's pool, could it?" Winston asked. Egon shook his head.

"If it had, then I'm sure we would have gotten another call about it by now." He said. Winston nodded, tilting his head to the side thoughtfully.

"When you both went back the other day…were there any trace readings or anything when you checked?" Nikki asked. Ray shook his head.

"No traces of where the portal could have been either."

"Is that weird?" Nikki asked, not knowing the protocol of what was normal or not. Ray and Egon exchanged glances and then Ray shrugged as he walked over to his daughter to examine her ankle again.

"Not really. When the slime from the subway tunnels disappeared after we beat Vigo the Carpathian a few years ago, we went down there later to check it out and there weren't very many traces of that either." Ray explained. "But we've never encountered something strong enough to physically harm a living person like this…"

Nikki's chest felt tight when she heard that, suddenly afraid of the thing that she had seen. She shakily took a breath, preparing to tell her father about her ability to see and communicate with ghosts, hoping that it would somehow help.

"Dad…there's something I want to…"

"Don't you guys have anything better to do than run experiments on Little Stantz, here? I'm sure she's got better things to do than sit around here all day."

Nikki turned to see Peter leaning against the doorframe at the top of the stairs, a lazy smirk on his face.

"We're attempting to find what attacked her, Venkman." Egon muttered, annoyance dripping from his voice at the sudden interruption. Peter smirked and crossed the room.

"Sounds exhausting."

"It's actually a little terrifying." Nikki commented lightly. Peter leaned against the pool table next to her and ruffled her hair playfully.

"Don't worry about it. Whatever this thing is, we'll find it and you can take your revenge on it yourself, if you want to." Peter said. Ray glanced up at him and shook his head.

"Whatever this thing is and _if_ we find it, we're not letting Nikki near it." Ray contradicted him firmly. Nikki pursed her lips and met Peter's brief knowing glance. Peter squared his jaw and stared at his colleague's back when he turned back to converse with Egon at the computer.

"Seen any ghosts lately?" Peter asked Nikki quietly when he realized that the other two Ghostbusters were absorbed in their theories and questions at the desk. Nikki glanced over her shoulder to where Winston had moved to the stairs to greet Janine who had just come in to work for the morning.

"No I haven't," She said slowly. "Not that I've really been looking for them, either."

"Ah." He said lightheartedly. "So you've had a pretty boring couple of days then, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that." She said nonchalantly. She smiled and Peter crossed his arms, eyeing her with interest.

"Oh?"

"I may or may not have met a guy at the coffee shop the other day." She said. Peter raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds interesting…he's not a ghost is he?" He asked comically. Nikki laughed and shook her head. Ray glanced behind himself to where Nikki shoved Peter away from her playfully. Peter nudged her back, shushing her obnoxiously. "Quiet Little Stantz! Ray doesn't want me being a bad influence on you…"

"Funny." Ray said sarcastically as he walked back over to where Nikki still sat, perched on the edge of the pool table next to Peter. Nikki's smile fell slightly as he approached with the meter once more.

"What are you looking for, Ray?" Peter asked as Nikki watched her father fidget with the meter in his hand once more over her ankle.

"We think there may be smaller traces with readings like the one from the pool popping up in the area. Egon and I are going to take the car and run a perimeter around the city to check for them. I'm just getting a final scan to make sure we know what to look out for." Ray said. He turned back to the computer as Egon stood to grab his coat from a nearby chair.

"You're gonna hit that late morning traffic, you know." Peter warned. "It was a pain to just get a cab this morning."

"Can I come this time?" Nikki asked. Ray eyed her warily as he slipped his coat on. "I mean…since you're just going to be driving…"

"I think it'd be best if you stayed here for a while. You don't need to be on your ankle any longer than you need to be." Ray finally said. Nikki glanced at her injured ankle and nodded slowly as she reached for the bandage on the table next to her.

"Right." She said softly as she began winding the cloth tightly around her ankle, wincing at the soreness she felt. Ray stood watching her reaction for a moment before grabbing the PKE meter and heading down the stairs after Egon.

"It's probably for the best that you don't go with them anyway, Nikki." Peter said gently, placing his arm around her reassuringly. "I've been with them before on things like this…it gets pretty boring after an hour or so."

"I wasn't expecting it to be exciting, I just wanted a chance to maybe tell him what I can do." She said. Peter shrugged and stood up to cross the room to the kitchen.

"You'll get the chance." He said. "Right now, just give him time to get over the scare you gave him back at that pool the other day. I can tell he still isn't handling it very well."

"With your psychologist abilities?" Nikki asked, jokingly. Peter smirked and nodded to her as he opened a cabinet and found a box of Twinkies. He tossed her one of the small packaged cakes and opened one of his own.

"And with your psychic abilities, I'm sure you can get him to understand better later on, anyway." He said.


	12. Biding Time

By lunchtime, Ray and Egon still hadn't returned from their perimeter check. Nikki was sitting on the couch absorbed in one of Egon's notebooks, intrigued at the amount of work that had gone into creating the handful of gadgets that the Ghostbusters used on their busts. She jumped as a voice suddenly spoke from the room which she had thought was empty.

"Geez, you're still reading? How bored have you gotta be?" Peter asked as he climbed up the stairs from where he'd been working most of the morning down at his desk. Janine had finally wrestled him downstairs soon after Egon and Ray had left to help her fill out some late paperwork and return calls. Nikki had heard most of his long, drawn out conversation with someone named 'Walter Peck' and from what she gathered Peter wasn't a big fan of the man.

"I'm not that bored. I find this stuff interesting, actually." Nikki replied with a smirk.

"Of course you would." Peter shook his head. Nikki ignored his jibe and continued looking at Egon's book.

"I still would like to see some of this equipment in action…it's hard to wrap my mind around how this proton stream thing works…" Nikki said, flipping back a few pages.

"I thought you said you had tried to keep up with us in the papers." Peter remarked as he leaned against the arm of the couch.

"I did. They never exactly went into detail on how the ghosts you fought were captured." Nikki said simply. Peter shook his head once more as he squinted down at Egon's notes over Nikki's shoulder.

"I don't know how you're able to make sense of that…gives me a headache just trying to look at it!"

Nikki smirked and shut the book, carefully replacing the sticky notes and prototype drawings inside the pages.

"You want to go get some food with me and Winston? Looks like Ray and Egon are still going to be a while." Peter offered as he glanced down at his watch. Nikki smiled at him and stood up to replace Egon's notebook on the desk across the room.

"I might want to tag along." She said.

"Great. Maybe you can settle the argument we've got. I want Chinese again, but he wants Mexican. Which would you rather have?" Peter grinned at her as he tossed her coat to her from beside the door. Nikki winced theatrically and looked apologetic as she replied.

"…Mexican."

"YES!" Winston's voice drifted up from the lower level of the firehouse. Nikki laughed as Peter silently turned around and led the way down the stairs, pretending to give her the cold shoulder.

* * *

"We've been driving for almost four hours now, Egon. And you're telling me that there still isn't a sign of anything resembling the scans we're looking for?" Ray asked wearily from the driver's seat of the Ecto-1.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Egon shook his head, his lips pressed firmly together in slight agitation.

"I was so sure we'd be able to find something by now! That energy can't have just disappeared…" Ray said, hunching over the steering wheel, his back sore from driving for so long.

"On the bright side, we can confirm that the perimeter of the city is clear of any hostile energy fluctuations." Egon said flatly. Ray groaned.

"Yeah, and also all of the neighborhoods _inside_ of the perimeter." He grumbled.

He stared at the street in front of him as he sped through the small square, working his way back into the city.

"Hold on," Egon murmured, the meter in his hand whirring lightly. Ray glanced at his colleague beside him and slowed the car down. Egon clicked a few buttons, looking at the screen with a new awakened alertness.

"What is it?" Ray asked urgently. Egon glanced up at him, his eyebrow raised. He looked back down at the screen once more.

"We need to get back to the city. Something just flashed on the radar. And it's just a few blocks from the firehouse."

* * *

Nikki followed Winston and Peter out of the Mexican Restaurant after an entertaining meal with the two Ghostbusters.

"I can't believe you got me to try those nachos! That's got to be the spiciest dip on the planet!" Nikki laughed. "And I normally _like_ spicy!"

"Hey…I wasn't the one who wanted Mexican anyway. But I decided to go all out for your benefit." Peter said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"I've had spicier." Winston added with a smirk. Nikki shook her head and crossed her arms across her chest, tucking her hands into her elbows to keep them warm against the cold air.

"So, where to now? Back to the firehouse?" Nikki asked, looking down the street in the direction they had come. Peter shoved his hands into his coat pockets and looked back and forth down the crowded sidewalk.

"Yeah, we should probably go back. Ray and Egon are still off who knows where so I guess we're stuck holding the fort down." Peter sighed. He walked to the curb and hailed a taxi.

"Doesn't leave much time for fun, does it?" Nikki asked as she and Winston joined him at the curb where a yellow cab pulled to the side a few inches in front of them.

"The job _is_ the fun," Winston remarked with a shrug as he opened the door for the other two people to climb into the back of the cab. "It's the in-between times that get tough."

"Guess I chose the right time to come and visit, then." Nikki said quietly as she leaned back against the seat. The cab jerked back out onto the street and sped towards the firehouse, weaving tediously through the traffic.

"Don't worry so much about it, Nikki. We'll make sure your last couple of days here are worth it. Just give Ray some time and we'll hopefully get to take you out on another bust. A real one this time." Winston said, echoing what Peter had told the girl back at the firehouse earlier. Nikki frowned slightly and stared out the window sadly.

"I wish I _had_ more time." She said softly. Peter and Winston both looked at her worriedly.

"You'll get more time. If it's not during this visit, then surely you can arrange to come back later." Winston said, trying to be reassuring. Peter met Nikki's weary gaze knowingly and watched as she shook her head and turned to look back out the window.

Her gaze wandered down the street as they drove and as the cab slowed in the traffic, Nikki's heart skipped a beat. A tall, dark clothed figure stood out amidst the crowd of people bustling along the curb. Shawn.

"Hey…" She said as she reached for the door handle. Peter gently grabbed her arm.

"What is it?" He asked, peering out the window over her shoulder. Nikki scanned the sidewalk once more, searching for another glimpse of Shawn. The crowd had swallowed him up.

"I thought I saw him." She murmured as she leaned back into her seat. The cab continued on in traffic.

"Your new guy friend?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow. She threw a glance his way and nodded. Peter grinned and nudged her teasingly.

"Go look for him! We'll cover for you back at headquarters. It'll still probably be a while before Ray and Egon get back anyway." Peter said. He patted the seat in front of him and asked the driver to slow down. The driver shook his head but did as he was asked, tapping his brakes to numerous car horns behind him.

"Come on kid, I don't have all day!" The driver exclaimed from the front of the cab.

Nikki glanced quickly at Peter to see if he was being serious. The man nodded at her reassuringly and shoved her out of the car with a smirk. She smiled back at him as the cab shot back into traffic, causing more horns to blare around her. Ignoring the annoyed shouts from the cars behind her, she darted quickly to the last place she had seen Shawn on the crowded sidewalk.

She weaved through the crowd, searching for Shawn's dark coat in the midst of the people around her. After a few seconds of mingling through the crowd, she stopped in front of a clothing store, out of the way of the passing sidewalk traffic.

Scanning the people walking by her, she noticed that a woman was watching her from the other side of the crowd on the curb. Nikki blinked, expecting the woman's gaze to look away from hers but the woman's eyes remained fixed on the girl. Nikki looked around herself unsurely and then felt her heart sink. She stumbled back towards the store behind her as the woman trudged forward through the crowd between them. Nikki quickly pulled her coat around herself and turned to start following the flow of traffic on the sidewalk.

"Wait!" The woman cried after her. Nikki bit her lip and ignored her, attempting to quicken her pace, wincing at the soreness in her right foot. Suddenly the woman was in front of her and Nikki nearly fell back with surprise and dread.

"I'm – sorry!" She squeaked as she righted herself and turned back in the other direction. She stopped when she came nose to nose with the woman again.

"You can see me." The woman said pleadingly. Nikki averted her gaze and pretended to be searching through the crowd for someone. The woman stood patiently in front of her, blocking her path. Nikki shrunk back away from the woman, heading back out of the way of the busy sidewalk.

"I…I can." She relented quietly. The woman exhaled in relief, nearly crying out with joy.

"Do you know how long I've been trying to get someone to listen to me?!" She exclaimed, raising her hands to the sky. Nikki moved her gaze from the ground up to the woman's face and cringed as she took in the appearance of the woman.

Her short, dark hair was a mess around her pale face. Her cheeks were riddled with scrapes and bruises and her clothes were torn and bloodied in several places. She held herself like someone who was in immense pain, though Nikki knew that the woman could no longer feel anything. She was dead.


	13. Ghostly Encounter

Nikki studied the woman, carefully meeting her pleading gaze. She glanced at the passing crowd of people, none of which seemed to notice the girl talking to herself on the corner.

"Can you help me?" The woman asked desperately. Nikki shifted on her feet, her foot aching painfully as she put her weight onto it.

"It's…it's been a while since I've…"

"Please." The woman begged, her eyes shining with tears.

She leaned closer toward Nikki and the girl backed away hesitantly, clutching her arms to herself. The woman stopped and shook her head sadly.

"You don't know what it's like…not being able to say goodbye to your loved ones. Having to spend every single moment of every single day watching as everyone you know gets older while you're stuck in one moment forever."

Nikki felt her throat get tight as she stared at the woman, her heart hammering in her chest.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Nikki whispered. The woman blinked down at her and then smiled wearily.

"You're so young." Her hand touched Nikki's long dark hair gently. "It's such a pity that you're stuck with the burden of having to see the dead walking around wherever you go."

Nikki raised her gaze back up to the woman sadly, surprised at her comment. She swallowed hard and then slowly took her hand out of her elbow crease. The woman smiled and raised her hand towards Nikki's as well. Nikki's gaze wavered from the woman's bruised face and down to her own hand. She was shaking as she inched her hand towards the ghost's. Her chest tightened in anticipation and she took a shaky breath to try and calm herself.

"Nikki?"

Nikki's eyes trailed back up to the woman's face, but she found that the ghost was gone. She blinked and scanned the people in front of her for the woman.

"What are you doing here?" The voice asked again. Nikki glanced to her left and could see Shawn strolling over to her quickly, a worried look on his face.

"Shawn?!" She said, turning to him with a relieved smile on her face. She rushed towards him and he wrapped her in a quick hug.

"Yeah…I was just on my way back from the Ghostbusters' place. I was going to surprise you by meeting you there early for our date, but you weren't there." He said. He looked down at her, his eyebrow raised slightly. "Are you okay?"

Nikki glanced back to where she had encountered the ghost woman, but there was still no sign that she had ever been there.

"You looked upset…who were you talking to?" He pressed her. She was silent for a few seconds and then he pushed her hair back away from her face, lowering his voice. "Was it a ghost?"

"Yeah." She said softly. Shawn held her gaze for a moment before smiling.

"Anything interesting?" He asked. She shook her head sadly.

"She wanted my help, like they always do. You kind of interrupted us, though." She said lightly. Shawn blinked quickly and then tilted his head to the side questioningly.

"Oh I'm sorry. He said. She smiled and then shook her head once more.

"No…I'm actually kind of…relieved that you did." She said, laughing uncomfortably. He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Oh?"

"It's a little overwhelming to meet a ghost in public. I've been able to prevent meeting any for the past few days of my visit and then I go and ruin my perfect streak by making eye contact with that poor woman…" Nikki muttered, glancing back to the spot where she'd first noticed the ghost woman.

Shawn stared past her curiously, following her gaze but also seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"How do you…help them?" He asked. She turned back to look up at him and smiled sheepishly.

"It's hard to explain." She said, fluffing at her hair nervously.

"Of course." He smirked as he hooked his arm with hers and lightheartedly added,"Well, I guess we can go ahead with our plans then."

They began walking in the opposite direction of the firehouse and Nikki glanced back confusedly.

"I thought we were going to that cemetery over on the other side of town…?" She said slowly. Shawn smirked.

"It's a surprise. I thought you'd like something more exciting than just a walk around some old cemetery." He said. She smiled and shrugged.

"I'm up for anything." She said. His smile widened and he nudged her a little further down the street, passing many of the shops she had ventured into on her second day in New York.

"Can I have a hint on where we're headed?" Nikki asked after a few minutes.

"Well…I regret to say it's not anywhere out of the cold…but I think you'll like it." He said lightly. She frowned in thought and then she flashed him a teasing look.

"No fair. You know I'm not familiar with the city yet so I don't know of any outdoor activity places!" She said. He laughed quietly.

"Exactly." He said. She playfully pursed her lips, annoyed and continued walking with him until they reached a park-like area with a small pond in the center.

"Is…this it?" Nikki asked when Shawn had stopped them at the gate. A crowd of people were in the center of the park, ice-skating on the pond. Shawn nodded and gestured towards the small booth a few feet ahead.

"You go ahead and get your skates and I'll meet you on the ice." He said eagerly.

"Why aren't you coming with me?" She asked questioningly. He thumbed over his shoulder at a group of boys who were staring at her and laughing amongst themselves.

"Those are my roommates over there. I bet them that I couldn't get you out here with me and I'm going to go collect." He said as he whirled around and disappeared. She laughed at his enthusiasm and shook her head as he walked away. She headed for the booth and traded her tennis shoes in for a pair of skates, smiling thankfully at the woman working there.

"Are you by yourself, hun?" The woman asked, smacking her minty flavored gum in Nikki's face as she handed her the skates. Nikki smiled and shook her head.

"No…my friend is over there. It _is_ my first time skating, though." She said. The woman smirked, half interested and then looked to the couple behind Nikki, signaling that she had no interest in making conversation with the girl in front of her. Nikki took that as her moment to leave and quickly dodged out of the couple's way to go and slip on her skates at a nearby bench.

She had barely gotten them fastened before Shawn was in front of her, his skates already on and his hands in his pockets, waiting patiently for her to stand.

"How did it go?" She smirked at him and he offered her an arm to help her stand.

"Surprisingly easy." He muttered after a moment. Nikki laughed and wobbled unsteadily on the skates, cringing lightly as her injured ankle scraped the inside of the boot through her bandages.

"You alright?" Shawn asked lightheartedly as he led her out on the ice. She instantly started slipping and she grasped his elbow tightly so that she wouldn't fall. Steady as a rock, he held her closely to her, gliding easily on the ice beside her.

"Yeah…just never been ice skating before." She said breathlessly, trying to control her fumbling feet below her. Shawn laughed.

"You're kidding," He said. She bit her lip in concentration on the ice in front of her and shook her head.

"Nope."

They rounded the curve in the pond and Nikki's skates slipped out from under her once more. She cried out as her injured foot twisted painfully in her skate and she reached for Shawn's other arm. They continued a little ways around the pond before Nikki gestured for Shawn to stop. He pulled her to the side, allowing other expert ice skaters to pass them by.

"Maybe…maybe let's just make this a short lesson, okay?" Nikki asked, managing a small smile. Shawn seemed let down by her lack of enthusiasm and he glanced back towards the center of the pond wearily.

"I thought you would be excited…" He murmured. Her shoulders slumped and she pressed her hand into his chest reassuringly.

"I am. It's just…I hurt my foot with Dad on a bust the other day and…it kinda still hurts." She admitted. Shawn blinked in realization and looked down at her skates where she had shifted her weight to her left foot.

"I'm sorry…" He said slowly. "I…didn't know."

"I know…I didn't want to seem like a baby at the cemetery yesterday." She turned away from him, sliding and holding her arms out to her sides to try and balance herself. "Maybe we can find something else to do this afternoon."

"No…Nikki, wait!" Shawn said, rushing after her. Nikki whirled around in surprise at his sudden sharp tone as he grabbed for her arm. His hand was freezing as he missed his mark and grasped her hand instead.

Instantly an unsettling crack thundered, followed by an eruption of screams from a few feet away. Nikki stumbled back, confused to see a handful of people slip and fall, attempting to back away towards the shore. She yanked her hand free from Shawn's grasp and quickly followed the crowd, stumbling and nearly crawling to the edge of the pond. When she had reached the small bit of grass and pulled herself onto land, she chanced a glance back.

A bright green glow shone through the ice, causing it to crack in the place where she had just been standing a few seconds prior. Almost as soon as the crowd rushed to avoid the water gushing up over the ice, the glow dimmed and seemed to sink back into the depths of the pond. Nikki gaped down at the hole in the ice, a chill spreading through her not just caused by the cold.

"Ghostbusters!" Someone behind her cried out in relief. Nikki spun around and could see that the white hearse had pulled up beside the booth where she had gotten her skates not less than ten minutes before. The lights on top of the vehicle flashed brilliantly in the cloudy cold-weathered afternoon and the crowd parted as her father and Egon emerged, heavily geared with their proton packs and meters.

"Dad!" She exclaimed as she stumbled to meet them in the gawky skates and her freshly sore ankle. Ray's eyes glanced up hurriedly and narrowed as his gaze landed on her.

"Nikki?! What are you doing here?" He said, rushing over to her. The crowd continued to rush away from the pond and back up the small hill to the skate booth.

"Dad – the glow – it was here – I saw it!" She said, quickly trying to form an explanation.

"Ray!" Egon said as he pointed at the pond behind her. Nikki turned and could see that the hole had gotten wider and that the pond would clearly not be used for ice skating again anytime soon.

"Stay here." Ray ordered quickly before hurrying to meet Egon who crouched at the edge of the pond, his PKE meter held out towards the pond. The small lights flickered weakly for a brief moment and then died away as the energy pulse disappeared.

Ray whirled around and headed back over to Nikki, a stern look on his face.

"What happened?" He asked her. She looked back to the crowd around them, searching for where Shawn had gone missing during the chaos.

"I was with Shawn…we were ice skating and then the next thing I knew, the ice was cracking and people were screaming…and the spot where the ice cracked was glowing."

"Like the pool?" Egon asked. Nikki nodded.

"Only for a second though and then it was gone." She said, looking back at the hole in the ice. Ray shook his head.

"Go and get your shoes…we're going back to the firehouse." He said, ushering her back towards the crowded booth. Nikki shook her head.

"I have to find Shawn-" She protested but Ray flashed her a firm glance.

"No you don't. You're coming back with us." He said.

"Dad…don't do this again…" She begged as he led her to the front of the line past the many confused people in front of the booth.

"Where's your date at, honey?" The woman in the booth said, still chewing her gum furiously. She tossed Nikki's shoes at the girl and Nikki angrily yanked her skates off and set them on the counter, not bothering to slip on her tennis shoes before stalking fumingly in front of her father. The woman rolled her eyes as Ray and Egon ushered Nikki back out of the crowd and towards the Ecto-1 on the other side of the gate.

As she climbed into the back of the car, she glared out the window at the crowd of confused people who were all trying to confirm what had just happened to their happy afternoon skating rink. She thought she caught a glimpse of Shawn standing in the midst of the crowd, staring at her with sorrow in his eyes as he watched the car pull away from the park and onto the street.


	14. Back at the Firehouse

**I know I'm falling behind on updating, but I'm hoping to get back on track. This one seems short, I know, but I plan on trying to update again tomorrow and that should compensate for it. So please review so I know if everything is sounding okay so far! Thanks!**

As soon as the Ecto-1 pulled into the Ghostbusters' firehouse, Nikki hopped out of the backseat before Ray could even switch the car off. Her eyes were red from crying and she leaned against the back of the car as her father and Egon silently got out.

"Well?" Janine asked, noticing the stern facial expressions of all three people in front of her. Ray glanced up at her briefly and shook his head. Egon moved towards the secretary to explain what had happened after their seemingly unsuccessful perimeter check and how they had found Nikki at the ice skating pond.

"Oh, you guys are back!" Peter called from upstairs as he slowly descended toward them. Noticing that Nikki was with them he threw her a little wave. "Back from your date so soon, Little Stantz?"

Nikki raised her tear-stained eyes up to him flatly before looking back down at the ground, still leaning against the car. Peter reached the ground floor and glanced confusedly at Ray who flashed a worried look at his daughter.

"What happened?" Peter asked. Ray shook his head and pointed at the man in front of him.

"You should know very well what happened!"

"Well, I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're so upset about." Peter said, trying to keep his voice even as he looked between both Nikki and Ray. "What – did her date go wrong or something?"

"This isn't even about the date, it's about the fact that you weren't watching her, Venkman!" Ray exclaimed. Nikki looked apologetically at Peter who flashed her another confused glance as Ray continued. "If you had been paying any attention at all to the scanners, you'd have noticed the large pulse of activity building up in the park! It was near to peaking on the meter when we finally reached the pond, and then just as we came upon it suddenly it was gone. And Nikki here was standing just a few feet away from the spot."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Winston asked, having heard the argument ensuing from where he had been working upstairs. Ray glanced up to where the man stood on the landing, curiously looking down at the group of people downstairs.

"I – I don't know yet, but I'm working on it." Ray said sternly. Nikki stared intensely at the ground, her arms folded tightly across her chest.

"I had _nothing_ to do with it." She insisted as she narrowed her eyes at her father. "And I don't need a babysitter to watch me when you're gone, either!"

Ray looked back at her and sighed.

"Well, I'm finding that harder and harder to believe since the very same readings of energy match the same two locations you have been present at when we encountered it." Ray said.

"Ray, maybe you _are_ being a little hard on her…" Egon tried to reason as he finished catching Janine up on their findings. Nikki swung her gaze towards him and then looked at Peter who was silently staring at Ray in frustration. Ray shook his head and stared at the ground as he headed towards the stairs.

"We've got to get to work trying to figure this thing out. We've got two sites where this burst of energy turned up and I want to know why it's happening." Ray murmured as if that would change the subject. Nikki followed him up the stairs with her eyes, refusing to move from the car. As Ray disappeared into the second floor rec room, she glanced back at Peter, Egon and Janine in front of her.

"I had no idea what was going to happen! How could I?" She blurted out, her voice cracking. Egon silently shook his head and shrugged.

"He's upset, Nikki. It's really hard to see why he's acting like he is, but it can't be directed completely at you." Egon said softly. Peter opened his mouth to say something but Nikki shook her head and pushed her back off from the rear of the car and crossed towards the row of lockers against the wall.

"If you try and tell me to 'give him more time' again, I think I'll scream." She muttered. Peter scoffed.

"No, I wasn't going to say that." Peter said lightly. He walked over to her and kicked gently at the locker door with Ray's name plastered on it.

"Peter, leave her alone," Janine called softly from her desk. Nikki smiled back at her thankfully and turned away from the lockers, heading for Janine's desk. The man slowly turned to follow her and she stopped at Janine's desk, turning back to him.

"I saw one today." She said. Peter blinked in surprise.

"Really? At the park?" He asked. Egon watched them carefully, trying to follow the conversation.

"No, this was before, right after you had kicked me out of the cab earlier. This woman actually talked to me, wanting help. Then Shawn showed up and she disappeared." Nikki said slowly. Janine glanced between Peter and Nikki shifting her gaze back and forth as if they were speaking in code. She flashed a confused glance up at Egon who returned it, equally curious.

"What about the park? Did you see anything there?" Peter pressed her gently. She nodded.

"Shawn was trying to teach me to ice skate." She smiled. "A perfect date, right? But then my ankle started hurting and I told him I had to stop. Next thing I knew, the ice was cracking and people were screaming. And I looked back to see that weird green glow underneath the ice." She said. Peter glanced up as Egon moved closer to the girl, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Then what happened?" Egon asked. Nikki turned to him, her eyes wide with remembrance.

"Nothing, people just started scrambling to get off of the ice like you saw. And the glow was just gone after that."

"But you didn't see any ghosts around?" Peter asked. Egon frowned at him and then looked back down to Nikki for her answer. She shook her head, glancing up at Egon briefly.

"Not that I noticed. The woman who confronted me in the street was hard at first to pick out from the street through the crowd, but there could have been some at the pond and I just didn't notice because things were happening so fast."

"Nikki…" Egon said slowly. "Are you saying that you can see ghosts like they're regular people?"

Nikki glanced back at Egon and nodded silently. Egon looked back at Janine whose eyes were wide and glued to Nikki in surprised confusion.

"How long have you been able to do this?" Egon asked with interest.

"Since I was little." Nikki shrugged. Egon frowned and looked up towards where Winston had followed Ray into the rec room/lab upstairs a few minutes ago.

"And Ray doesn't know, or he would have factored this in to the equation…" Egon murmured as he headed for the stairs. Nikki glanced at Peter who had a thoughtful look on his face. She quickly followed Egon.

"Wait – are you saying that I really _might_ have something to do with what's happening?" She asked, her voice high with worry. Egon quickly began climbing the stairs.

"It's hard to say. But we won't know for sure until we try to see where the rest of this goes." He said. Nikki quickly grabbed his arm, and Egon stopped to look back at her confusedly.

"If this is going to upset Dad…please don't tell him. I…I can't hurt him anymore than I already have…" She begged. Egon shook his head.

"I'll try to keep it from him, Nikki, but we do usually work better together rather than apart." Egon relented. She glanced back down to where Peter stood behind her on the stairs.

"Egon…" Peter gently pushed past Nikki and took Egon a few feet away so that she wouldn't hear. "Meredith took her for psychiatric evaluation for several years when she was little. She's afraid to tell Ray."

Egon studied the girl over Peter's shoulder, regarding her carefully. Egon slowly tore his gaze away from her and nodded curtly at Peter. The other Ghostbuster turned around and offered Nikki a reassuring smile.

"We still need to research this so that we can find who or what is causing these things to happen." Egon said softly. Nikki and Peter nodded slowly.

"Maybe for now it would be safer to keep an eye on you, Little Stantz, even though I know you don't want that." Peter said. Nikki shrugged and nodded.

"I just want it to be over so that I can prove to Dad that I'm not responsible for these happenings." She said. Peter and Egon both smirked down at her. "This has turned out to be the worst vacation ever."


	15. Second Chance

**Okay, so I know I promised that this chapter would be exciting, but I got to writing and it got a little lengthy. I do want to have** ** _something_** **else to post later! So I hope you also enjoy this chapter and look for the next one Thursday!**

"So…there's no way to predict when the next occurrence will happen." Peter finally concluded after observing Ray and Egon as they worked. Winston shook his head and rubbed at his eyes tiredly as he leaned against the pool table a few feet away from where the others stood talking. It had been nearly three hours since Nikki had revealed to Egon the new variable in their theory of finding the source of the glowing green energy.

"Right." Egon said, flashing Nikki a wary glance. She sat on the couch with her feet curled up beneath her as she watched the Ghostbusters in front of her worriedly. She sighed quietly and looked at the window where it had gotten dark outside. She distantly studied the lights from other buildings down the street as the Ghostbusters' voices dulled into background noise in her mind.

The last she had seen of Shawn that afternoon as Ray had driven away from the park kept replaying in Nikki's head. She could still see the confusion and regret that had shown on his face as the car had sped away from the crowd.

Nikki furrowed her brow as she continued to stare out the window. She thought further back to her encounter with the ghost woman that afternoon. She had been bracing herself for the pain that helping ghosts caused her when Shawn had found her. Then the woman had disappeared. Maybe the ghost had been surprised that Nikki was suddenly not alone, or maybe…

"Are you ready to go, Nikki?" Ray asked, bringing her back to the present. She tore her gaze from the darkened window. She slowly looked around at the other Ghostbusters, regretting that she had been lost in her thoughts and missed the end of their conversation.

"Yeah," Nikki murmured as she pulled herself up from the couch and hesitantly followed him to the stairs where he grabbed both of their coats. She glanced back at where Peter and Egon stood at the desk and could see that they were watching her warily. She shrugged into her coat and fastened the top button as Ray headed downstairs.

"Hey Nikki – come here for a second." Peter called softly. She carefully glanced to where Winston was still leaning against the pool table casually flipping through some of the maps and graphs Egon had laying on his desk. Nikki slowly headed back to Egon and Peter, her lips tight as she met their critical gazes.

"What do I need to do?" She asked quietly. "If there's no way to know for sure where the next pop-up spot is going to be, then how can we know if I'm really causing this?"

"You're _not_ causing it," Peter said shaking his head. "But right now that seems to be one of Egon's theories."

"Like I suggested earlier, I think it would be wise to stay near here for a while so that we can monitor your whereabouts. If another energy pulse shows up, then that will be reassurance enough that you're not to blame." Egon explained gently. She held his gaze for a moment and then sighed.

"So you're saying that I have to stay around here for the next week." She stated. Her eyes widened in confusion as she glanced between the two Ghostbusters. "What happens when I go home?"

"We…haven't gotten that far yet." Peter said. He scratched the back of his head and shrugged apologetically. She blinked and then nodded.

"See you tomorrow then, I guess." She murmured. She waved goodbye to Winston who smiled back at the girl, thinking that she was still just upset about Ray's outburst. Obviously Egon or Peter had kept to their word and hadn't told him yet about her psychic abilities. She smiled wearily at the two scientists then turned and headed down the stairs after Ray.

* * *

Ray unlocked the door to his apartment and Hal greeted them pleadingly as he and Nikki walked in. The cat instantly went to Nikki and wrapped himself around her legs, meowing up at her until she finally picked him up. She hefted him into her arms and smiled reassuringly down at the cat who purred loudly. Ray shut the door behind himself and locked it as he watched the reuniting of owner and pet.

"Are you okay?" Ray asked after Nikki had settled in the living room on the couch with Hal. Her smile faltered as she looked up at him over the back of the couch and nodded briefly.

"Yeah I guess," She said slowly. She looked back down at the cat that lay on her chest with its eyes closed contentedly.

"I just…want to know why this is happening." Ray muttered as he fumbled in the kitchen cabinets just for something to do. Nikki stared at his back as he pulled down random boxes of cereal and snack foods.

"Me too…" She said softly. The cat opened his eyes into slits as Nikki stroked his fur absently.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow?" Ray asked, his voice sounding off as he tried to lighten his tone.

"I thought I would come with you," She said gently. He turned back to her warily like he was about to object but she quickly added, "…Just so that I don't get into any other trouble."

Ray snapped his mouth shut quickly and studied Nikki for a moment before nodding. She regarded him when he turned away and began replacing the boxes back up in the cabinets. Before he closed the door, he shook his head as if he were trying to clear it and then turned back to the couch.

"What would you like for a quick dinner? I failed to plan anything…" He said, running a hand through his hair. Nikki smirked halfheartedly, knowing that his mind was clearly elsewhere. Probably still fuming about his thinking she was preventing him from discovering the psychokinetic energy pulses.

"I'm not really feeling very hungry, if that helps at all in your deciding." She offered after a few seconds. Ray blinked and lowered his gaze to the countertop, a remorseful look on his face.

"Oh…alright." He said softly. Nikki smiled wearily at him and got up from her spot on the couch. Hal leapt down from the couch as well, following as Nikki slowly headed towards her room.

"I think I'm going to shower and turn in," She said. Ray nodded to her stoically and pursed his lips thoughtfully as he watched her go.

"Okay then. Night," He called after her. The cat trailed after her and Ray heard the bedroom door shut a few seconds later. He sighed as he busied himself with finding a microwaveable meal and switched the television on as he waited for it to cook.

* * *

A dark figure loomed up from the street outside of the girl's apartment building. The shadowy mass slowly rose up until it reached Nikki's bedroom window. She had gone to sleep less than an hour ago, resting easy despite the events of that afternoon.

The figure phased easily through the glass of the window and paused at the girl's bedside. It watched as she slept peacefully, her hair a dark halo of waves around her on the pillow she rested against. The figure's eyes flashed hungrily as it reached out a clawed hand towards the girl's face. Before it could touch her, a fierce growl erupted from the girl's feet.

Two glowing green eyes were illuminated by the streetlight that reflected through the window. They rose slowly and moved forward, the growl getting deeper. The figure stared at the cat, amused as it slowly advanced. It reached its hand out to instead swipe at the furry creature but the cat leapt at the shadowy shape with a sharp yowl.

"H-Hal?"

The figure whirled around as the girl shifted awake, blinking blindly in the darkness of her room. Her eyes wandered towards the figure which melted into shadows and disappeared out the window before she could pinpoint the source of her cat's outburst.

* * *

Nikki spent most of the morning sitting in the downstairs of the firehouse as the four Ghostbusters worked quietly up on the second floor. Janine seemed to be enjoying Nikki's company, and didn't complain when the girl decided to curl up behind Peter's desk, sifting curiously through the crumpled up papers and files on the desktop.

"So has Shawn talked to you since yesterday?" Janine called over her shoulder, casually scribbling on a piece of scrap paper on her own desk. Nikki had explained to Janine already about the interrupted date and her worries about Shawn's feelings towards her.

"No…I mean…I didn't give him Dad's phone number because I didn't know it. That could be the problem." She sighed as she threw another empty chip bag into the waste basket next to Peter's desk.

"You said he knew that Ray was your father though. So he knows how to get in touch." Janine commented lightly. Nikki nodded. Then she frowned and stood up from Peter's squeaky desk chair. She set the stack of papers she had been glimpsing through down on the semi-cleaned desktop and stared at Janine's bright red hair poking up from behind the filing cabinets.

"You didn't meet him yesterday?" Nikki asked. Janine turned back to glance over her shoulder at the girl, her eyes confused behind her wide glasses.

"When would I have met him?"

"He said he came by to pick me up yesterday afternoon while Peter and Winston and I were out at lunch. I figured you must have told him that I wasn't here," Nikki murmured. Janine blinked a few times, looking distant for a moment as she thought back to yesterday afternoon.

"No one came in while you were gone…" Janine said. Nikki turned back to Peter's desk thoughtfully, her heart skipping a beat as she settled back into the desk chair. Her elbows rested on the desktop in front of her and her hands pressed against her temples as if she had a headache.

"That's weird…" She mumbled. Suddenly the phone on Janine's desk rang loudly, causing the girl to jump in surprise. Janine answered it on the third ring.

"Ghostbusters," Janine said loudly.

Nikki sighed, and brushed her hair out of her face absentmindedly. It appeared that she would be left alone in the firehouse once more, as Janine took care of what sounded like a potential call. She glanced up as Peter stood at the top of the stairs, watching as Janine jotted down the notes she needed from the phone call. He smirked as he noticed Nikki down at his desk.

"Alright, I'll let them know. Thank you." Janine said as she hung up the phone. She scribbled down a few more words and then looked up to where Peter still leaned against the stair railing waiting.

"What've we got?" He called down. Janine read from the sticky note attached to her palm.

"An abandoned mansion about twenty minutes from here. Spectators around the building say they've heard cries coming from the place during the day and then at night there's a weird glow that disappears and reappears in an upstairs window." Janine lowered the note and looked to Peter for his reaction.

"Sounds…worth checking out." He murmured after a few seconds. Nikki glanced up at him wearily and he smiled, raising an eyebrow. "And we can't leave poor Nikki. You've gotta come with us wherever we go so we can keep an eye on you."

Nikki's eyes widened in disbelief and Peter winked down at her as he headed back into the room behind him to relate the news to the other three Ghostbusters. A few minutes later and the four of them rushed down the stairs and to the car. Nikki slowly stood from her spot behind Peter's desk. The four Ghostbusters slipped on their beige jumpsuits quickly and loaded up the Ecto-1. Peter noticed that she hadn't moved and waved her towards them.

"Come on Little Stantz, don't want to keep the ghosts waiting, do you?" Peter said loudly. Ray turned around from where he had opened the driver's side door, preparing to get in. He glanced back at Nikki and then flashed an annoyed look at Peter.

"What – Peter, no…" Ray said. He looked to Egon for assistance but the taller scientist was also encouraging the girl to hurry up.

"We might need a little extra help on this one." Egon said simply, shrugging at the disbelief on Ray's face. He smiled apologetically and quickly slid into the backseat. Winston smiled as he finished loading up the back of the Ecto-1, slamming the rear of the car closed.

"Let's maybe skip giving her another of your uniforms though, Ray. Don't want to mess up another one." Winston said jokingly.

Nikki smiled, feeling her heart leap excitedly as she grabbed her coat from where she had left it on the bottom of the stair railing. Ray shook his head and got into the driver's seat of the car and started it up with a loud rev of the engine. Winston and Peter both squeezed into the front seat with Ray while Nikki got in the back, facing Egon who gave her an encouraging smile as she shut the door.


	16. Nikki's Power

**I really enjoyed typing this chapter out...I hope it didn't seem too jumbled! Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks for keeping up with me so far, guys!**

"See anything yet?" Ray asked as he joined his three colleagues at the foot of the large wooden staircase. Egon stood at the front of the group, studying his PKE meter carefully as he moved to begin ascending the stairs.

"It's faint…" Egon murmured. Peter glanced back questioningly at Ray before slowly following Egon up the stairs. Winston gestured over his shoulder towards a hallway leading away from the staircase.

"I think I'll check things out down here for a bit. Radio me if you need backup." Winston said as he switched on his radio and headed quietly for the hallway.

"Right." Ray flashed one more glance over his shoulder to where he could still see Nikki standing in the foyer by the slightly ajar front door. She was watching him with her arms hugging herself against the chill that had followed them into the abandoned building. She smiled at him and he slowly turned around to begin walking up the stairs after Egon and Peter.

The stairs creaked loudly, causing Ray to pause on the first few steps as he felt the old rotting steps shift beneath his heavy boots. He grasped the railing and continued upward, seeing that Peter had just reached the landing of the second floor.

"Lot of dust up here," Peter coughed quietly. He turned to see Ray still climbing up the stairs.

"Venkman – I've got something." Egon whispered. Peter turned away from the stairs and scurried across the floor to catch up with Egon. Ray finally reached the landing and drew his proton thrower. He could hear Egon's PKE meter whirring frantically down the hallway in one of the side rooms.

"Spengler? Venkman?" Ray called softly, as he quickly but quietly made his way down the dusty hallway. He peered into each room he passed, seeing diminished bedrooms riddled with broken and rotted furniture and moth-eaten curtains.

"Ray!" Peter hissed, sticking his head out of a room halfway down the hallway. Peter held a gloved finger to his lips and waved Ray forward. His heart hammering in anticipation, Ray hurried towards the room, pausing in the doorway to take in the sight over Egon and Peter's shoulders.

A bright red ball of light flickered faintly in the center of the room, darting slowly between broken pieces of furniture and what looked like small clumps of plastic on the worn carpeted floor.

"What is it?" Ray muttered quietly, his eyes trailing after the light in front of them. Egon shook his head.

"Not sure. But it doesn't seem to notice that we're here." Egon murmured. He clipped the meter onto his belt and stepped out of the way so that Peter and Ray could get a better look.

The ball of light pulsed slightly brighter as the men fully entered the room and seemed to hover in front of them as if processing their presence in the room. Peter blinked at the thing in front of them and then looked to either sides of him where Ray and Egon flanked him.

"It doesn't seem very threatening..." He said, turning his head back to the glowing sphere.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that it _won't_ get that way…" Ray said as he shifted the particle thrower in his hand nervously.

Peter slowly reached over his shoulder for his own thrower, keeping his eye on the specter in front of them. The glowing sphere wavered slightly in the center of the room as if it was watching the Ghostbusters as well. When Ray hesitantly switched on his thrower, the red sphere spun around and darted towards the men.

"Woah!" Ray exclaimed, firing blindly at the advancing light. Peter fired his as well, ducking as the glowing ball twirled over his head and retreated to the other side of the room.

"Winston! Winston, can you hear me?" Egon said into his radio. He had to dodge out of the way when the red light flashed towards him and dropped his radio as Ray and Peter's proton streams hit the wall above him.

"Watch it! We don't want this place falling apart with us in here!" Peter exclaimed. Ray ran to a corner of the room so that he could get a clearer shot on the ghost.

"I'm not the only one shooting!" Ray protested. Peter darted into the other corner of the room, charging up his thrower. The little red sphere of light floated upwards toward the ceiling, and slowly formed into a shape.

"…What?" Peter asked, squinting up at the slowly forming figure.

It was still small, but two hand-sized wings sprouted from the back of the figure's shoulders. The small figure was the size of a doll, with two large black eyes taking up a majority of its porcelain, red-tinged face. Fearfully, Ray shot another stream at the still figure and its face twisted into a scowl, revealing numerous sharp teeth.

"Ray, look out!" Winston shouted from the doorway. He fired his own stream and the little figure growled angrily at the newcomer.

"Don't let it out of the room!" Egon shouted, drawing his own thrower as he realized how dire the situation had gotten. Winston planted his feet firmly on the floor, blocking the doorway with his body. The little winged demon floated quickly back and forth over the Ghostbusters' heads, the men unable to get a clear shot for more than a few seconds at a time.

"Lay a trap down!" Peter shouted after a few seconds. The little figure shrieked frantically as he shot towards it again. Ray cried out in surprise as the broken chairs and wooden furniture pieces slowly levitated into the air around the room.

"If we can't get a clear shot, a trap won't help!" Winston said.

"We can lay several down, and while it's trying to dodge the streams, it might get close enough to trigger one!" Peter tried to reason. Egon dodged to the side as a large piece of rotting wood furniture shot his way. Down on his knees, he unclipped a trap from where he stored it at his side.

"Worth a try!" Egon said as he slid the contraption along the floorboards. The ghost shrieked again and buzzed around the ceiling, clearly agitated. Winston and Ray both unclipped traps from their belts as well.

"Watch it!" Peter shouted as the ghost took advantage of the men's occupied attention. Both Ray and Winston where hit with a forceful blow that sent them tumbling backward. Ray fell into the corner behind him, while Winston went flying through the open doorway and careening into the hall.

"You're…going to pay for that…" Ray groaned in pain as he carefully climbed back to his feet. He charged up his thrower and fired at the red creature, causing another shriek to echo from its wide mouth.

"Stop! Please – _stop!_ "

Ray, Peter and Egon all looked at the doorway where the voice had emanated. Nikki stood there, her face flushed from running through the whole house in search of the Ghostbusters. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear as she watched Peter and Egon firing warningly at the ghost.

"I said, _stop it!_ " Nikki shouted once more. The proton streams were cut off abruptly and Ray stared at her in disbelief.

"Nikki! What are you doing up here?!" Her father exclaimed. He watched as the little red winged creature slowed its frantic buzzing.

"Could you not hear her screaming?" Nikki asked, rushing further into the room. The floating objects all fell roughly to the floor, dust floating up from where they struck the ground.

"Who?" Winston asked, reemerging from the hallway. Nikki gestured at the ghost that fluttered waveringly near the ceiling.

"What do you see, Nikki?" Egon asked calmly, looking between the girl and the small glowing red demon.

"Nikki, I told you to wait downstairs." Ray said firmly, moving closer to the creature, aiming his thrower warningly. The ghost whirled on Ray and let out another shriek as it rushed towards the man.

 _"_ _Don't fire!"_ Nikki screamed. Ray resisted but dodged out of the way as the ghost hit the wall with a hollow sound before flapping its small wings to catch itself. It seemed to hover there for a moment watching Ray before turning and floating back towards the center of the room.

"Nikki…get out of here, now!" Ray said. Ignoring him, Nikki walked forward and stared up at the creature with pity in her eyes as it slowly descended towards her.

"Ray…be quiet." Egon said softly, holstering his thrower and unclipping his PKE meter from his belt. Ray glanced briefly at him in confusion before looking back at Nikki.

Nikki was less than a foot away from the ghost now, the wings on the little doll-sized creature flapping rhythmically as it seemed to study the girl. Nikki slowly raised her hand towards it and the ghost retreated a few inches to disappear into its glowing spherical shape once more.

"What is it doing, Nikki?" Peter asked as he stepped forward, interested. Nikki held her other hand out to stop him and then turned back to the ball with a calming look on her face.

"It's alright…they won't hurt you now." She murmured. The ball of light floated lower to the ground and then seemed to rest on the floorboards for a few seconds before growing in size.

"What's going on? Nikki, what are you doing?!" Ray exclaimed, taking a step back as the red glow intensified as it grew larger. He rounded the room carefully, his eyes glued to the swirling red glow on the floor.

"Woah…" Winston said, squinting down at the ghost curiously.

"Nikki, get away from there!" Ray said, grabbing her shoulder warningly. She jumped back in surprise and the red figure in front of her whined, upset. Nikki reached back and tried to slap away her father's hand.

"Dad – please…" She said, keeping her voice calm as she stared at the figure in front of her.

"I don't know what you're doing, but this is dangerous! Get out of here and let us take care of this!" He said pleadingly, worry creasing his forehead. Nikki shook her head and pulled away from him.

"No Dad, let me do this just this once…to show you!" She pleaded. Ray shook his head and took her by the arm to lead her towards the door.

"No, we're going downstairs right now. You guys can handle this, right?" Ray said over his shoulder.

"Ray, would you stop it? She's psychic!" Peter blurted out, stepping towards them. Ray glared in confusion at his colleague before turning back to Nikki whose face had gone stark white. She tore her arm gently out of his grasp and stepped back.

"…What?" Ray breathed. His eyes softened as he looked at Nikki, her hand grasping the top button of her coat nervously. She held his gaze for a moment and then turned back to the red figure as it slowly settled back to the ground.

"It's okay…" Nikki murmured quickly to the glowing shape. Ray took a step back from his daughter as the figure blurred into another shape.

A little girl around the age of four stood in front of Nikki, hugging a small doll to her chest frightfully. Black hair hung over her small shoulders and she wore a little white dress that shone red with her supernatural glow. Her small dark eyes wandered up to the men around her, and Nikki held a hand out to the glowing girl.

"They're not going to hurt you," Nikki repeated softly. The girl looked back up at Nikki carefully her dark eyes full of tears. Nikki smiled hesitantly. "What's your name?"

"Anna," The girl whispered.

"It's…a little girl…" Winston said slowly as if not trusting his eyes.

"Of course it is. Didn't you see that this room used to be a nursery?" Nikki said over her shoulder. The men slowly looked back at the debris scattered over the floor and realized that they were bits and pieces of old toys. Half of a stuffed animal rested against Peter's boot and he kicked at it gently.

"I thought they were here to play with me." The little girl squeaked after a moment. To the Ghostbusters standing in the room, only a small distorted whimpering sound came out of the girl's mouth. Nikki smiled down at the little girl sadly and glanced up at the men around her knowingly.

"Yeah…I'm sure you did think they were here to play with you." She said for their benefit. Peter scoffed and stared at the glowing girl carefully. Egon was studying the confrontation over his meter, with Winston also peering confusedly at the screen.

Ray stared down at his daughter, memories flooding through his mind from the ghost talks he had shared with her when she was little. He watched the interaction in front of him with emotional eyes.

"No one has come to play with me in forever…" The little girl continued, hugging her doll closer to her chest. Nikki nodded understandingly.

"Then why are you still here?" Nikki asked gently. The little girl blinked slowly and then lowered her head.

"Mama and Papa left me. They were here when I…fell asleep…and then everyone was gone when I woke up." She said sadly. Nikki inhaled sharply, piecing together the girl's demise.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Nikki said as she knelt in front of the girl. The girl sniffled and then looked cautiously around the room where the Ghostbusters still watched her in silent awe.

"Can you take me to see my Mama and Papa again?" She asked quietly. Nikki nodded and bit her lip, holding her arms out toward the little girl.

"I hope so." She said.

The child rushed forward into the older girl's arms, resting her face in the crook of Nikki's neck. Nikki wrapped her arms around the small ghost, her chest tight and she flinched slightly as a warm tingling sensation spread through her arms. She could see nothing but the red glow emanating off of the girl and she closed her tear-filled eyes as she hugged the child closer. After a moment, she could feel the little ghost in her arms slowly melt away with the warm powerful feeling flowing through her. Nikki's arms fell through the space where the ghost had been and she rested them on her shoulders as the warmth left her with a dull coldness.

"Nikki?"

Nikki slowly raised her face up to see that the four Ghostbusters all stood around her. Peter and Ray both rested hands against her shoulders as she slowly wavered on her knees.

"Are you alright, Nikki?" Egon asked gently as he stepped closer to the downed girl. Nikki blinked slowly, feeling drained of all of her energy. She nodded wearily after a few seconds and rubbed at her arms through her coat as the chill slowly ebbed away to the normal coolness of the old building.

"Nikki…" Ray said gently as he knelt down next to his daughter, a worried look on his face.

"I'm fine, Dad." She said reassuringly. She smiled at him as he carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him wearily.

"You're going to put us out of business if you keep this up!" Peter joked lightly. Nikki smirked at him tiredly.

"Don't worry about that…" She laughed quietly. Ray pulled her closer and watched as Egon made a quick sweep of the room with his meter, scanning for any remaining energy readings. After a moment he paused at the doorway, an excited gleam in his eyes behind his glasses.

"It's all clear. The ghost is gone." He confirmed. Nikki nodded knowingly at him and smirked at the other Ghostbusters' baffled reactions.

"How? What did she do?" Winston asked, confused.

"I'm sure she'll explain when she's gotten her strength back." Peter said as he offered her his hand. She smiled and stood up with Ray staying close by her side as she wobbled shakily on her feet. The Ghostbusters turned and picked up the few fallen traps they had forgotten and then headed back down the hallway and the stairs, out the way they'd come.

* * *

The dark figure materialized and watched carefully as the four Ghostbusters escorted the young girl down the old, worn staircase of the abandoned building. She leaned wearily against her father's arm and he kept a thoughtful look on his face the whole way down.

The girl had been temporarily weakened in helping the young ghost to cross over to the world of light on the other side. The dark figure had been surprised that the girl could tap into that much power at once, especially at her own will.

 _"_ _Yes,_ " the figure hissed as it watched the five living people exit the old building. _"She is the one."_


	17. Explanations and Another Nightmare

**Hello everyone! I had some trouble writing this chapter up, so that's why I'm a little delayed in posting tonight. Please let me know if anything sounds bad, I'd love some feedback! :D**

Nikki and Ray shared the backseat of the Ecto-1 while the rest of the Ghostbusters sat up front to give the father and daughter a bit of privacy. Nikki sat across from Ray, her head leaning wearily against the window.

"Are you sure you're okay, Nikki? We can turn some more heat on if you need it." Ray offered, worried. Nikki smiled and pulled her coat closer around her shoulders.

"Dad…I'm _fine_." She insisted. "You're worrying too much about it…I knew you would."

"Well, of course! Why wouldn't I be worried?" Ray exclaimed.

"I've been able to see ghosts since I was little, Dad. You knew that." Nikki said, leaning heavily against the window.

"Well I know, but I think what you just did was a little more than that!" Ray said, running a hand through his messy hair nervously. Nikki glanced at him.

"So you _do_ remember." She said. Ray nodded and then felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

"How could I forget? You wrote to me about seeing new ghosts you met twice a week for nearly three years." Ray said. "But how did you figure out how to do more than that?"

"As I got older, I found I could do more. The ghosts that I encountered helped a little, but the first time that I did this, I was about nine years old. I had a little ghost friend, Beth, that played in the woods behind Grandma's house. One afternoon after school, Beth and I were exploring a creek and I almost fell when we were crossing it. She turned around and reached out her hand to help me and when I took it, this feeling came over me…" She said slowly.

"What kind of feeling?" Ray asked curiously when she stopped speaking for a moment.

"Well, I just remember what was odd to me was that it was a fall afternoon and it was really chilly outside. When I took Beth's hand…it suddenly felt like summertime and warmth just overtook us both. The next thing I knew, she was gone and I was lying by the side of the path on the other side of the creek. I barely made it back up to the house before passing out from exhaustion."

"So by making physical contact with a spirit, you can open a sort of bridge to the other side for them?" Ray exclaimed excitedly. Nikki nodded slowly.

"I like to think that I'm helping them to cross over. It's not a bad place that I'm sending them, I know at least that much."

"So Nikki, I'm curious." Winston said, leaning over the front seat. "If you're psychic, does that mean that you can read other people's minds?"

Nikki was taken aback by his question and laughed tiredly. Ray raised an eyebrow and caught Winston's confused look.

"I don't know…I mean, I haven't thought about that. I don't think so." Nikki finally replied, brushing her hair back from her face.

"How much do you know about your abilities?" Egon asked from the driver's seat, joining in on the conversation.

"Not much more than what you saw in there. I see ghosts and I help them." She said simply.

"While killing yourself at the same time, right?" Peter asked, referring to her pale face and the fact that she still leaned heavily against the car door. Nikki flashed him a wary glance and she shook her head.

"I'll be fine…how many times do I have to say that?" She exclaimed. She looked between Ray, Peter and Winston who were all watching her carefully. She folded her arms comically and turned away. "You know, I really am starting to regret that I showed you all my party trick, now."

* * *

Later that evening, Nikki lay comfortably on the couch in the upstairs rec room of the firehouse while Ray conversed with Egon, Peter and Winston about the events of that afternoon.

So how long have you known about this, Peter?" Ray asked. He leaned against the desk where Egon was busy at the computer researching mediums and psychic abilities in order to learn more about Nikki's own abilities.

"A few days. She told me when I went to visit her the other day when she was sick." Peter said.

"Why wouldn't she tell me?" Ray asked. He looked over to where Nikki dozed on the couch. "Was she scared I would be upset or something?"

"Well, aren't you?" Winston asked, raising an eyebrow. Ray rolled his eyes.

"I'm only upset now, because I realize that I should have known what was going on. When she was little we talked about her seeing ghosts all the time. Even after Meredith moved her away, Nikki wrote to me about seeing other things. I thought she would grow out of it…" Ray said worriedly.

"Children do tend to be more open to the spiritual world in their first few years of life." Egon added.

"You can't worry about that now, Ray." Peter said, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She seems to have figured things out on her own pretty well."

"Yeah…but what if she does end up killing herself trying to overexert herself for the sake of a wistful ghost?" Ray said worriedly.

"Ray, I'm sure there's a lot that even she doesn't know about her abilities. Maybe to prevent what you're worried about, we can help her to learn her bounds and what exactly it is that she does." Egon suggested, turning around in his desk chair. Ray sighed and glanced back at Nikki.

"She goes home in less than a week. Is that enough time to get her trained?"

"Trained? She's not a dog, Ray, she's your daughter." Peter said.

"I know that!" Ray snapped. "I just don't want her hurting herself."

"I'm sure we can do something." Egon said reassuringly. "I'll continue to review the readings we got back at that abandoned building and maybe do some more research tonight. Meanwhile, you can take her home to rest. We can start fresh in the morning when everyone is clearheaded."

"What, are we going to test her by bringing another ghost in for her to vanish?" Winston asked. Egon shook his head.

"I mainly just want to question her. Past experiences kind of thing. Then we'll decide how to test her." Egon explained.

"And what if we get a call?" Winston asked. Egon shrugged.

"We'll split up. And if worse comes to worse and we need all of us on a call, we can take Nikki with us and see how she handles different types of situations."

"I'm not sure how I feel about this…"

The Ghostbusters were startled by Nikki's sudden input. She was sitting up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, looking slightly better since she had rested for a bit. Ray smiled at his daughter encouragingly.

"Why not?" He asked. "We just want to help you learn your limits."

"I know…and I appreciate it, really. But I didn't come all the way up here to be a lab rat." Nikki said. "I figured out this much on my own, I think I'm doing fine."

"Little Stantz does kind of sound like a pet name." Peter said jokingly.

"You're the only one who calls me that!" She shot at him with a smirk.

"Nobody is going to be a lab rat!" Ray said. He glanced at Nikki who was staring at him in surprise. "We just want to research in depth what you can do."

"Dad, listen…I've read nearly everything there is to know about the paranormal. You _know_ this. But every time I think I'm getting close to answers, it gets pretty vague and just starts referring to movies and other fictional books. There's no one that I know of who can cross ghosts over like I can." Nikki said sadly.

"That's one thing I can research for you tonight." Egon offered. When Nikki looked up at him warily he was quick to continue. "We have access to much more information than your normal, everyday literature and online material."

Egon turned back to his computer briefly and patted the top of the large computer as if to prove his point. Nikki smiled thankfully and nodded.

"Alright. I'll agree to go along with this little experiment, but only if you promise to continue to look into what was in that pool and at the skating rink." Nikki bargained.

The Ghostbusters all nodded in agreement and the girl yawned as she realized how late it was from the clock on the wall.

"If we're going to start early tomorrow morning, we'd better get home and to bed, Dad." Nikki said as she stood up from the couch and folded the throw blanket she had used. Ray nodded and went to grab their coats.

"Don't work too hard, Spengler." Ray said as Nikki slipped her tennis shoes back on carefully and moved to follow him.

"See you in the morning, Lab Rat Little Stantz!" Peter teased. She playfully punched him on the shoulder as she hurried past him and followed Ray down the stairs.

* * *

Hal greeted Nikki and Ray with loving mews and rubs as soon as they returned to the apartment. The cat seemed especially attracted to Nikki, like he had known she had been through a lot that day. Even once dinner was ready and Nikki had set him on the floor to stand, the cat leapt back into her lap before she could even move.

"It's like he knows what you've been through today," Ray said thoughtfully as he set her plate of pancakes on the counter. Nikki smiled up at Ray knowingly.

"Yeah…poor Hal knows it all. Animals are really keyed into the paranormal too, you know." She said, finally able to get the cat off of her so she could get up and wash for dinner.

"Hope you don't mind breakfast for dinner," Ray said as he set a plate of eggs and sausage on the countertop. "It's the only thing I had that I could make on short notice."

"I love breakfast for dinner." Nikki said as she washed her hands and poured herself a glass of milk. As she climbed onto her barstool, Ray was thankful to see that she had somewhat recovered from the afternoon's bout of weakness that she had suffered from. The color had returned to her cheeks and her eyes were brighter as she dug into her dinner.

"So your Mom doesn't know that you can…do whatever you did today, does she?" Ray asked. Nikki glanced up at him hurriedly, her eyes wide.

"No…no she would totally freak out if she knew!" She said. "No…I don't even do it as regularly as you think I do. I try to avoid it when I can…but whenever a spirit comes along clearly in pain, I can't just say no…"

Ray nodded as her voice cracked at the end of her explanation. She stared down at her plate in thoughtful silence for a moment before she slowly resumed eating.

"I just wanted to make sure," Ray said gently. "I know how she used to be."

"She only got worse with age…" Nikki grumbled. Ray smirked and started laughing. Nikki glanced at him in confusion and then smiled.

They continued eating their dinner together lightheartedly and when they had finally finished, Nikki stood to help her father with the dishes.

"Anything I should be worried about before going in for questioning tomorrow?" Nikki asked as she dried the dishes while Ray washed them. Ray smirked.

"Egon will be the one to grill you. He takes these things very seriously, not that this isn't a serious matter, but he's really a stickler." Ray said lightly.

"It's not that serious, not like I'm dying or anything." Nikki scoffed as Ray passed her another plate to dry.

"Well, that's the thing. You could if you're not too careful." Ray said seriously.

"I know," Nikki relented softly. She smiled to herself after a moment. "You know…it's funny how willing you are to let me into your life once you know how like you I really am."

Ray flashed his daughter a sideways smirk before pulling the plug on the stopped up water in the sink and handing Nikki the last dish.

"Only thing is, I never saw ghosts like you do. We have to use special equipment sometimes to see the ones we catch. What you do is something else." Ray said. He wrapped an arm around Nikki and she smiled and hugged him.

"I think I'm going to shower and turn in. I'm still a little tired." Nikki said, setting the dish towel on the counter. Hal, who had stayed by her side the entire time she had been standing there, quickly followed the girl to her room. "Goodnight, Dad!"

"Night," Ray called after her. He sighed as he watched her go and then headed into the living room to watch some television before bed.

* * *

Ray was startled awake by something hard hitting his chest. His eyes flew open and he quickly shoved the thing away from him. A short, guttural screech sounded as the thing flew off of him and thumped against the floor a few feet away. Ray quickly moved into a sitting position from where he had apparently fallen asleep on the couch with the television lighting the living room around him. He looked for where the thing that had woken him had fallen and could only see the cat, Hal sitting and eyeing Ray with annoyance.

"Stupid cat…" He muttered. Hal meowed as if in reply and moved towards Ray again. Ray waved his hand in front of him to ward off the cat who leaned back and gently patted at his hand in contradiction. Ray smirked with sleepy amusement as the cat continued to bat at the man with his paws. Finally the cat dropped back down to all fours and brushed against Ray's leg, shoving his furry weight roughly against the man's calf. Then he darted off towards Nikki's bedroom.

"Weird." Ray murmured, staring after the strange cat for a moment. A few seconds passed by and then the cat once more emerged from the slightly open crack in Nikki's door. He stood staring at Ray with his bright green eyes, flickering in the light from the television. His small mouth opened and a sharp meow that turned into a growl sounded from his throat. Ray frowned at the cat who continued his yowls and darted back to Nikki's bedroom.

Ray slowly stood up and watched as the cat poked it's head out of the room and seemed to be relieved that Ray had finally moved. Hal yowled once more as Ray approached Nikki's door and carefully pushed it open.

"Nikki?" Ray said gently as Hal continued to meow pleadingly at him. In the dim light from the television in the next room, Ray could vaguely see that Nikki was tossing and turning, the bedcovers bunching around her.

Ray quickly fumbled to switch on her bedside lamp and Hal leapt up onto the nightstand watching his owner worriedly. Ray took in Nikki's pale face, disfigured by a look of fear. Soft, terrified cries escaped her as she twisted and grasped at her pillow restlessly. Ray gently reached for both of her shoulders to still her movements.

"Nikki – Nikki, you're alright honey. Wake up." Ray said gently. Suddenly her cries got louder as she tried to fight out of his grasp and Ray's heart hammered fearfully as he watched her movements slow as she woke up. Her eyes were wide, despite the bright lamp beside her and she blinked several times before she recognized her father.

"D-Dad," She breathed, her voice shaky. Ray hesitantly released his hold on her shoulders and slowly settled down on the edge of her bed next to her. Hal meowed softly from the nightstand and Nikki flashed a look at the cat before looking back up at Ray.

"You were having another nightmare." Ray said gently. Nikki nodded, still seeming to be out of breath. She swallowed hard and then moved to sit up carefully.

"It was awful…" She whispered, tremors wracking her body.

"What happened?" Ray asked softly. Nikki lifted her gaze to him slowly and took another shaky breath.

"Dad…sometimes I dream about things that can happen in the future. That…that first night that I was here…I dreamt about the pool." She said. Ray stared at her carefully, smoothing down the blankets next to her.

"The pool?" He asked, disbelief in his voice. Her eyes were sad as she nodded again.

"Drowning. That's the main thing I remembered. And then a few days later…it happened." She said. Ray raised his eyebrows and shifted uncomfortably on the bedside.

"What did you dream just now?" He asked. He was skeptical, but he wanted to reassure her after her nightmare so he continued to listen. Nikki's face was still pale as another tremble went through her body.

"I was freezing…and that…. _green glow_ …was all around me. There were voices and…and _pain_ …" She said. Another tremor shook her and she choked out a sob. Ray opened his arms and she leaned into him, still shaking.

"It's alright, Nikki. Nothing is going to hurt you while I'm here." He said soothingly.

She clutched at his sleeve and he held her there for several long minutes until she seemed to relax. When she slowly uncurled her fingers from his sleeve, he could see that she had fallen asleep once more and he gently laid her back against her pillows. Hal had settled down on the nightstand, his legs folded beneath him as he drowsily watched Ray straighten out the blankets over his daughter. After watching Nikki for a few moments to make sure she was sleeping again with no problem, Ray reached over the cat and turned off the lamp. Then he quietly walked out of the room and back to the living room, suddenly wide awake after the scare Nikki had given him.


	18. Tests

**Merry Christmas, guys!**

"You sure you're going to be alright today?" Ray asked his daughter gently on the short cab ride to the Ghostbuster's firehouse that next morning. Nikki nodded and smiled warily.

"Yeah…but after that nightmare last night, I hope it's alright with you if I want to stick around close with you guys for the rest of the week." She said softly. Ray laughed quietly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as the cab pulled up alongside the firehouse.

Nikki pushed open the door of the cab and stood up on the curb as Ray got out behind her. Ray quickly paid the driver and as the cab drove away, Nikki's eyes caught on a figure standing on the corner across from the firehouse.

The sidewalks were deserted in the early morning around the Ghostbusters' building but for a few stragglers that hurried to get out of the frigid wind. Nikki continued to squint across the wide road to see the figure staring back at her. The figure was tall, with a long dark coat blowing around his thin frame. Dark hair whipped around his face and Nikki instantly recognized his slight smirk.

"Hey, Shawn!" Nikki called as she raised her hand to wave at him. Ray, who had already moved to the door of the firehouse, stopped and glanced back at where his daughter stood on the curb. He smiled and hesitated at the door.

"Not too long, Nikki." Ray said over the cold breeze. Nikki looked back and smiled at him before crossing the street. Ray shook his head still smiling, and shrugged as the wind blew the door of the firehouse shut behind him.

"Shawn! I was hoping I'd see you." Nikki said as she jogged to his side. Shawn glanced down at her and smirked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I've been worried about you. What happened the other night?" He asked worriedly. Nikki glanced up at him and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Dad and the others are still trying to figure out what it was that happened at the park. We've seen that glow before, so…it's got to be connected somehow to what cracked the pond the other night." She said quickly.

"Are you okay, though? You looked like you were pretty upset when you left the other night." He said. Nikki sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah…I guess I should apologize for my Dad's over-reacting. That's all he's done ever since I got here, practically." She said. Shawn smirked and nodded as he glanced at the sidewalk.

"I wouldn't know what that's like," He commented. Nikki bit her lip and smiled apologetically up at him.

"It's kind of annoying, mainly but I guess it can also be a good thing to have someone worry over you." She admitted slowly. She shoved her hands into her coat pockets and shivered as another gust of wind hit the couple.

"Hey, did you ever see that ghost woman again?" Shawn asked casually, walking around the corner of the building so that the wind would be blocked from them. Nikki smiled and shook her head.

"No, I was with my dad yesterday." She said. Shawn raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Get to go on a job with the Ghostbusters again?" He asked, surprised. She nodded and shifted closer to his side.

"Yeah, finally. I was worried they wouldn't let me after my first trial." She joked, glancing down at her healing ankle. It was feeling much better and she was able to wear her black dress boots for the first time in a few days.

"Well that's good. Anything interesting happen?" Shawn asked, intrigued. Nikki quickly relayed the events of the abandoned building and how she had helped to cross over the little girl's ghost. As she finished, Shawn's eyes widened and he glanced up at the firehouse across the street.

"They couldn't tell it was a little girl that they were shooting at?" He asked, mystified.

"No…I'm not sure what they were able to see at first, but apparently it had them a little on edge." She shrugged, burying her hands deeper in her coat pockets.

"But were able to help her?" Shawn asked curiously. Nikki smiled softly and nodded.

"I figured doing that in front of Dad and the other Ghostbusters would be my ticket to staying up here longer, but he hasn't said anything about that." She said as she kicked at a chunk of asphalt on the sidewalk.

"How much longer before you're supposed to go back home?" Shawn asked. She pursed her lips thoughtfully and glanced back down at the ground.

"Five days, counting today." She mumbled. Shawn put his own hands into his coat pockets and nodded.

"Not long at all, then." He agreed. He glanced down at her and shrugged as he caught her miserable expression. "But I'm sure there's still time for him to change his mind. You don't know."

"Yeah," Nikki said.

"Are you busy today? Want to go get something to eat, or maybe catch a movie? I promise I won't take you ice skating again." Shawn asked after a moment. She raised her brown eyed gaze to him and caught his enticing smile but slowly shook her head.

"No…I think I'm going to stick close to here for today. Since I showed Dad and the others my 'superpower' yesterday, they want to do some research and whatnot." She smiled thankfully at Shawn who looked surprised. "Hopefully we can do something again before I leave. I just wanted to make sure you weren't mad at me about ditching you the other night."

"You didn't ditch me the other night. Something strange happened and your Dad did the only thing he could think of to get you out of harm's way. I'm not going to fault you for that." He smiled reassuringly down at the girl and she felt herself blush, turning her cheeks a deeper shade of red through the cold air.

"I _would_ like to take you up on your offer sometime. Don't go too far away!" She ordered playfully.

Nikki stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Surprised, Shawn took a step back and she stumbled into his chest off-balance.

"Oh – I'm sorry…" She stammered, feeling her face grow hot. She glanced up at his apologetic face and tilted her head in confusion at him, touching her lips absently. "You- you're freezing, Shawn."

Shawn glanced around as another gust of frigid wind whipped their hair around their faces. When she had stumbled, he had moved his hands to the shoulders of her coat and she reached up to take his hand. Before she could touch him, he pulled away and shoved his hands into his pockets once more.

"It's cold out here, Nikki. You're freezing too, I can tell." He said with a small smirk. Nikki raised an eyebrow and brushed her hair out of her face to look at him.

"Little Stantz! We've got doughnuts!" Peter's voice carried in the wind across the street. Nikki glanced back and smiled at where Peter was holding a chocolate covered doughnut out the door of the firehouse.

"Want to come inside? It might warm you up," Nikki said, smiling. Shawn smirked and shook his head.

"I've got to get back to the guys. We're going out to the movies in a while, I just wanted to drop by and see if you'd like to come." He said lightly. "But since you're occupied, I'll take you another time."

"Alright." Nikki said. She smiled up at him and then crossed back over the street to where Peter was still waiting by the door.

"Geez Nikki…you're crazy if you enjoy being out in this weather!" Peter exclaimed as he pulled the large door shut after her. She shivered as she took off her coat and let the warmth of the building overtake her.

"I _don't_ like this weather," She said as she selected a sprinkled doughnut from the box on the corner of Janine's desk. "Got any coffee to go with these?"

"Always!" Janine said, pouring the girl a cup. Nikki smiled and took the steaming cup from the secretary.

"Come on Little Stantz, Egon's patient but he's not that patient." Peter said, waving for Nikki to follow him up the stairs. He shoved the chocolate doughnut into his mouth and trudged up towards the rec room. Nikki smiled thankfully at Janine for the coffee and then hurried up after him.

When she'd reached the landing, she could see that the Ghostbusters were all positioned casually around Egon's work desk in lighthearted conversation.

"No calls so far today," Winston was saying as Nikki joined the group. "But Janine's keeping close watch on the phone."

"I'm sure with all of those doughnuts down there on her desk, she'll stay put for a while. Until lunchtime at least." Peter quipped with a smirk.

"Maybe not quite that long." Nikki said gesturing at the chocolate frosting on Peter's mouth. She quickly finished her own sprinkled doughnut as the other three Ghostbusters laughed at Peter wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Morning Nikki," Winston said. "You're looking a lot better than when we saw you last night."

"Thanks," She said with a small smile and then glanced at her father. "I got a little bit of sleep last night."

"Great, because Egon's got a _ton_ of questions to ask you." Peter said. Nikki smirked as Egon turned around from his desk where he'd been working with a small gadget.

"I'll try to come up with a ton of answers." Nikki replied lightly. Ray smirked at her from where he leaned against the pool table with his arms crossed across his chest. Egon tapped a wrench in his hand thoughtfully.

"Okay…we'll start with when you saw your first ghost." Egon suggested. Ray scoffed and Nikki raised an eyebrow at him. The other three Ghostbusters also turned amused expressions at Ray who was quick to explain.

"I'd say she was maybe two. She was playing in the living room and handing her toys to some unseen thing, but Meredith and I just dismissed it as Nikki's childish behavior." Ray said. Nikki nodded in thought.

"Okay. Next question?" She asked eagerly. Egon blinked and then switched his gaze back to her.

"Was there a change in your ability to see ghosts when you moved away from New York?"

Nikki looked thoughtful for a moment and flashed a look at Ray. She tried to remember the flight her mother had taken her on when she was little, but couldn't remember much except her grandmother meeting the both of them at the airport. At the time, she hadn't fully understood the fact that she wouldn't see her father again, so she just assumed she was going on vacation with her mother for a week or so. She hadn't known that their move would be permanent.

"I don't think so. I mean, there were still ghosts in Virginia, so I guess that means there wasn't a change, right?" She finally said. Egon nodded thoughtfully.

"Have you seen other ghosts here in New York? Other than the little girl yesterday or the dark figure you said was in the swimming pool last week?" Egon asked, setting the wrench down behind him and leaning against the desk thoughtfully.

"Just one other. I saw a woman on the streets the other day before Shawn and I went to go ice skating. But she got spooked when she saw Shawn and I didn't see her after that." Nikki explained. Peter laughed.

"A _ghost_ got _spooked?_ " The man snickered. Nikki rolled her eyes.

"Poor choice of words." She quipped, causing Peter another laugh. She glanced at Egon who flashed his joking colleague an annoyed glance before resuming the conversation.

"When you see a ghost do they normally get…unnerved…by seeing you with someone else?" Egon asked, with a glance at Peter who still had an amused expression on his face. Nikki shook her head.

"Normally I'm alone, or somewhere that no one else would pay attention to me. But the little girl ghost, Anna, was alright with you all yesterday." Nikki shrugged.

"By 'alright' you mean that she whirled around at every little noise we made and tried to attack us." Winston scoffed.

"Well, I guess it can be argued that we didn't actually introduce ourselves in a very effective way…" Ray said slowly. Peter shrugged.

"We're the Ghostbusters. Our methods have gotten us this far." He said, gesturing at the mounds of equipment and the interior of their headquarters. Egon turned away from the group and picked up the gadget that he had been working on from the desktop.

"I also wanted to test something out, if you're alright with that, Nikki." He said as he set the box on the pool table. Nikki glanced at the gadget and recognized it as one of the traps that the men used to contain the ghosts from a bust. A small red light blinked lazily on the top of the device.

"You're not going to turn a ghost loose in here, are you?" She asked warily, looking at the other three Ghostbusters for backup. To her dismay, Winston and Ray were pulling on two of their proton packs and unsheathing their throwers. Egon smiled reassuringly at the girl.

"I am. But I want to get you ready first." He said as he took a few wires and taped them to her forearms and temples. "These will sense and document your –"

"My brain waves and body tension." Nikki finished for him. "I've been through this before and I'll just forewarn you that the doctor's scanners didn't pick up anything out of the ordinary."

Egon smirked at her bluntness as he turned back to his computer and typed a few things in. To Nikki's right, Ray and Winston were watching her carefully. Peter had moved closer to the pool table, his arms crossed interestedly.

"Well, you're forgetting that our equipment doesn't measure things the way standard technology does these days." Egon said. "This will scan for the normal brain waves and tensions like you said, but will also document for psychokinetic traces in your system."

Nikki raised an eyebrow and a new gleam of eagerness flashed in her eyes. She glanced at Ray and then back up at Egon as he moved back to where he had set the trap on the pool table.

"This had better be worth sapping my energy for again…" Nikki murmured under her breath. Peter smirked before he stepped back a few steps.

"Alright, I'm opening the trap, get ready. Don't look directly at the light." Egon said warningly. Nikki nodded and faced the trap expectantly. "Okay…now."

Egon pushed the button to open the trap and Nikki flinched as a bright flash lit up the large second floor of the building. She held a hand in front of her face as the glow died down and then she hesitantly glanced at what had emerged from the trap. She could hear Ray and Winston's proton packs charging up in anticipation as she stared at the figure in front of her.

A dull blue glow emanated from the ghost that floated a few feet in front of her. An angry expression was fixed on his face, his clothes looking black in some places as if he'd been burnt. Smoke flowed around him and Nikki tried to avoid inhaling any as the figure inched closer.

"What is it?" Egon asked from behind the ghost, catching Nikki's expression as she took a step back. The girl didn't take her eyes off of the looming figure.

"C-Can you talk?" Nikki said softly to the man.

The ghost floated towards her, the angry expression on his face turning furious as he glanced around at the surrounding Ghostbusters. Nikki offered him a terrified smile and took another step back.

"If it was just me, would you stop being all scary and stuff?" She asked, her voice shaking. The man's face twisted up into a murderous smile, his dark eyes shining. Nikki held her hand out in front of her to try and force him to stop his advance. When he didn't so much as bat an eye at her defensive movement, she took another few steps back. The figure's movement quickened slightly.

"I don't think your ghost whisperer abilities are helping you any, Nikki!" Peter said, ducking back as the ghost's trail of smoke drifted over to him. Peter coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. "I remember this guy! Wasn't much of a fan of that old restaurant!"

"Be quiet, Peter! You're making him even more upset!" Nikki hissed warningly, turning away from the ghost who followed her.

"Is that possible?" Winston asked, glancing at Ray. "He just seems to be an overly agitated dead guy anyway."

"Okay, this isn't funny…"

Nikki suddenly stopped and forced a stern look on her face as she looked up at the ghost's murderous soot-darkened face. He glanced down at her and smirked, revealing perfect white teeth behind his blackened lips. The wires on Nikki's arms prevented her from backing away much further and she hurriedly glanced over at her father urgently.

"Dad, this isn't working!" She suddenly cried. Ray charged up his thrower as the ghost, triggered by her scream lunged down at her. Ray's proton stream struck the ghost in his back causing him to whirl around angrily, only to be entrapped by Winston's additional stream. Egon threw the trap to the floor and clicked it open, sending the ghost back into its prison.

"Nikki, are you okay?" Peter asked, helping her up from where she had fallen as the other three made sure the smoking ghost was safely contained in the trap once more. Nikki took Peter's hand and stood, nodding hesitantly as she stared at the box where the ghost had disappeared.

"That's never happened before…" She breathed, her heart still hammering as the adrenaline rush died down. Soot streaked her face and the upper shoulders of her sweater, her hair which had been tied neatly back into a ponytail now sticking up around her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Nikki." Egon said as he shook his head quickly. He moved to her side and began unhooking the wires from her. "I should have prepared for this better."

"No…you did fine…I mean, you got him back in there right?" She asked lightheartedly. "I just…I've never met a spirit that… _angry._ " She said, staring at the small flashing red light on the top of the trap where it sat on the pool table once more.

"Let's uh…stick to the smaller stuff for now, yeah?" Ray said as he clapped a hand on Nikki's shoulder reassuringly. She smiled at him and smoothed her hair back down.

"Maybe let me get cleaned up first before we do anything else?"


	19. Results

**Hope everyone had a good Christmas! I had intended to post this chapter a few days prior to Christmas, but as ya'll probably understand, I got a little backed up. So, although this isn't exactly a Christmas story, I had intended for it to take place during that time of year. So if it sounds weird to anyone...I apologize!**

 **Well, I was pretty excited with my Christmas haul because I finally got the movie The Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi! I absolutely loved it! I hope you all had a good time with family and friends as well. Anyway, I'll shut up now and let you get to reading! Don't forget to review and/or inbox me with any thoughts or questions! Enjoy!**

After washing the soot off of her face and retying her ponytail in the bathroom, Nikki slipped on a spare t-shirt from Ray's stash of clothes that he kept at the firehouse. But even through the wardrobe change, she could still smell the lingering scent of smoke that the ghost had left on her. As she reentered the room, she could see that Egon and Ray were hunched over the computer desk, apparently reviewing what little results she had been able to give them from her test with the ghost.

"Feel better?" Peter asked, noticing her still slightly disheveled look. She shrugged as she passed him where he sat at the kitchen table with Winston.

"Tolerable." She said bluntly and she hopped onto the pool table to watch Egon and Ray at work.

"Were you able to get anything from all of that?" She asked hopefully, staring from the faint black mark on the floor where the ghost had stood to the small trap on the table next to her. When the two scientists glanced back at her she felt herself grow smaller under their observant gazes.

"Yeah…a little." Ray said softly as he regarded his daughter in front of him with guarded eyes.

"We were able to detect the difference between what you see and what we see. The part in your brain that most people use to see and understand what they're seeing is the larger part of the brain, the cerebrum. Now, from the brain waves that we recorded, we can see that yours is slightly different –" Egon started to explain.

"Oh god…you're saying something's wrong with me…" Nikki groaned, leaning forward and grasping her knees anxiously. From across the room, Peter stifled a laugh at the girl's reaction.

"Nothing is wrong with you." Ray said bluntly. She flashed him a disbelieving glance and then looked back to Egon as he continued his explanation.

"What I mean is that your mind seems to be more sensitive to psychokinetic energy. Like others you can see ghosts, but your brains waves are different than say, a person who doesn't believe in the supernatural." Egon said. Nikki frowned, not understanding.

"You see things differently. He's saying that, if a person who doesn't see ghosts on a regular basis, sees one, then that person sees it as something foreign or even terrifying. But you…" Ray said. "It's like when you see them, your brain waves react as if you're looking at, say, a dog on the street – something normal. Recognition."

Nikki frowned and looked at the floor for a moment before raising her eyes back to the two men in front of her.

"So…that's it?" She asked warily. She straightened up a little bit on the pool table and raised an eyebrow speculatively. "I could have told you that. What about when the ghost was about to attack me? Did anything come up then?"

Egon's eyes brightened behind his glasses and he turned back to the computer. He gestured to the array of data on the computer screen and Nikki hopped down from the pool table to get a better look. On the large screen, Nikki could see something resembling a heart monitor and she took that to be her brain waves from the experiment that had just been performed. Egon tapped a key on the keyboard.

"Now watch…" Egon said softly. Nikki leaned closer and after a moment, a sharp incline of the waves on the screen appeared. He hit another key and the screen stopped. He glanced back at Nikki who held her quizzical expression.

"Okay…?" She said, knowing that he was expecting her to say something. Next to her, Ray smirked.

"You don't know what that was, do you?" Ray asked. She glanced at him and shrugged.

"That was my brain waves, was it?" She asked. Ray nodded and pointed at the screen.

"That jump was when you held your hand up to shield yourself when the ghost was going in for the attack. It's like you brain went into defense mode." Ray explained. Egon pointed to another screen and tapped a key.

"This is what monitored your physical reaction." He commentated as Nikki and Ray both shifted their gazes to the other screen. After a moment, a steeper jump in the waves ran across the screen and stayed there for a moment until dying back down slowly.

"So…my muscles tensed up? Isn't that normal?" Nikki asked, folding her arms across her chest. Egon smirked and picked up the PKE meter he had used at the abandoned building the day before.

"That wasn't just muscle spasms that it picked up. That was psychokinetic energy." He said. He turned the PKE meter towards her. "This data was what we collected from your confrontation with the ghost yesterday. The same form of energy was present when you interacted with the little girl."

Nikki's eyes widened and she lowered her hands to her sides clenching and unclenching them thoughtfully. She looked at the small screen of the meter in Egon's hand and then at the larger computer screen behind him. Then she shrugged as she glanced up at him carefully.

"How do you know that the energy isn't coming from the ghost? Is there a way to tell that?" She asked guardedly. Egon flicked another button on the meter and turned the screen back to her.

"These are the readings from the girl ghost that we encountered. It's significantly different." He explained simply.

"And the readings from the ghost just now are different from the ones on _that_ screen." Ray added as he pointed to the computer. Nikki looked at them both hesitantly, trying to wrap her head around the newfound information.

"So…she's using ghost energy to interact with the other ghosts?" Winston asked, standing up from the table with Peter as they came over to observe what they were talking about. Winston glanced down at Nikki and raised an eyebrow.

"In a way, yes." Egon said. "Either that or she's able to channel the ghost's energy to manipulate it into something else."

"Little Stantz is part ghost?" Peter said. He smirked down at Nikki's surprised expression and he clapped a hand on her shoulder. "That's neat."

"So I _am_ weird." Nikki confirmed, a wary look on her face. She glanced down at her hands which looked just as normal as they always had to her.

"It's not a bad kind of weird…just different." Winston said, trying to be supportive. He glanced at Ray who was unusually silent at the computers. Winston smiled back at Nikki as he added, "How many people can say that they've hugged a ghost?"

"Not many." Peter answered for her lightly. He comically took one of her hands and squeezed it. "See if you can read my mind now."

Nikki's worried expression faded into playful irritation as she eyed Peter with narrowed eyes. She smirked as he scrunched up his face, staring at her intensely.

"Venkman…" Ray groaned. Peter smirked as Nikki finally resorted to staring back at him when she realized that he wouldn't let go of her hand until she did as he wanted. After a moment Nikki glanced to the side where Egon, Winston and Ray were all watching her thoughtfully. Egon had his PKE meter switched on, but it wasn't moving.

"Nothing's happening," Nikki said as she squeezed his hand back. He dropped her hand and frowned. He shrugged as Egon replaced his meter on the desk while Winston and Ray shuffled back to the kitchen table.

"Hey, it was just a thought." Peter shrugged. "Maybe if we help you build up the rest of your powers, more will follow."

"She's not a superhero, Venkman." Egon murmured, sitting back down at the desk.

"That's a pretty cool way to think of it, though." Winston said. Nikki smiled over at him and caught Ray's unamused glance as he turned back from where he was grabbing a soda from the fridge. Her smile faltered slightly and she turned back to Peter.

"What would my superhero name be?" She joked. Peter didn't miss a beat as he answered.

"You're 'Little Stantz.' No other name would work."

"But that would mean there would need to be a 'Big Stantz' too." She bantered, glancing back hopefully at her father. He had seated himself across the small table from Winston and he flashed her a side smirk when he caught her looking at him.

"Ray doesn't have any powers though so it wouldn't work." Winston went along with them lightly. Nikki smiled and pursed her lips in thought before Peter quickly interjected.

"The sidekicks don't always have powers." He said, eyes wide and feigning innocence. Ray raised his eyebrows and regarded the can of soda in his hand in mock offense as Winston and Nikki both expressed amused shock.

"Ya know…the sidekicks are usually very resourceful with what they're given and sometimes dabble in the martial arts. In a way, that could be pretty powerful." Ray said evenly as he turned his gaze jokingly towards Peter.

"Are you saying you could kick my butt?" Peter asked, folding his arms across his chest challengingly. Ray smirked and shrugged, raising his soda back to his mouth. About that time, a shrill ringing erupted through the firehouse causing the five occupants of the second floor to jump in surprise. Ray nearly choked on his drink and he and Winston quickly stood up from the table. Nikki whirled around and could see that Egon too, had risen from his seat at the desk and was rushing over to the two proton packs that had been used to recapture the smoking ghost.

"Another call?" Nikki asked, seeing the four Ghostbusters leap into action.

"Yeah, you coming?" Peter asked as he wrapped his arms around the firepole at the wall and slid down to the first floor. Nikki turned around to see that Egon and Winston were hurrying down the stairs with the heavy equipment. Nikki took a step closer to the firepole where Peter had just disappeared and felt a hand lay on her arm.

"You know how to do that correctly, right?" Ray warned her. Nikki rolled her eyes and stepped back, extending her arms towards it.

"Care to show me how it's done?"

Ray frowned at her and quickly showed her to fold her arms around the pole and then slid down himself. She looked after him for a moment before doing just as he had and sliding down easily. She hit the ground floor of the firehouse and was surprised to see that the vehicle was nearly packed and ready. Winston shut the back of the car with a firm slam and then rounded the vehicle to get the information from Janine at her desk.

"Where are we going this time?" Nikki asked eagerly as Peter zipped up his uniform and shut his locker. Egon was just pulling his jumpsuit on as Ray pulled her aside.

"I think it'd be better if you didn't go on this one, Nikki. Seeing how exhausted you were after yesterday, I don't want you to hurt yourself." He said gently, turning back to his own locker. Nikki felt her shoulders slump, dejected.

"I'm fine Dad, how many times do I have to say it?" She argued lightly. Ray opened his locker and grabbed one of his uniforms.

"I know you are…and we'll take you another time maybe, but not right now. Don't you remember your nightmare from last night?" Ray said.

"It'll be more research for you and Egon. Look, if it turns out to be hostile like the smoky ghost from up there, I promise I'll get out of your way." She bargained, ignoring his reminder about her nightmare. Ray smirked as he zipped up his uniform and rolled the sleeves up.

"What if I told you that Janine needs help here this afternoon?" He said, shutting his locker door and turning back to the car where Winston had started the vehicle. Nikki glanced back at Janine who was conversing with Egon a few feet away. Janine's bright eyed gaze turned instantly in her direction and she looked at Ray in surprise.

"I do?" She said, puzzled. Egon turned back to Ray with an equally skeptical glance. Ray nodded knowingly at the secretary.

"Weren't you going to put up the Christmas tree today?" He said. Janine stared at him for a few seconds and then glanced down at Nikki.

"Um…"

"Dad…" Nikki protested, knowing that her father was just searching for an excuse to keep her from going on the bust with them.

"I expect to see this place decorated by the time we get back." Ray said, quickly wrapping Nikki in a hug and kissing the top of her head.

"But Ray, we don't-" Janine also protested as Ray and Egon climbed into the car. From the other side of the vehicle, Peter shrugged at Nikki's flabbergasted expression and gave the girls a quick salute.

"Have fun, you two!" He called as he ducked into the car and shut the door. The car eased out of the building and Janine hurried to close the doors after the Ghostbusters. Turning back to Nikki, she sighed in frustration.

"Well…I guess we'd better go and get a tree…We've got to start somewhere." The secretary mumbled as she retreated back to her desk quickly to grab her coat and purse.


	20. The Subway Ghost

**Happy New Year! I know it's a bit early, but I'm going ahead and posting this so I can watch Ghostbusters 2 to ring in the New Year. :)**

"Was that really necessary, Ray?" Peter asked after they had been driving for a few minutes. Ray glanced back at Peter and frowned.

"What?"

"You know we've never put a tree up in the firehouse before. You just didn't want her to come with us." Peter said. Ray turned back around in the front seat with Winston and stared at the road ahead sadly.

"You saw her after yesterday's bust. I didn't want to chance her getting overwhelmed with another ghost two days in a row." He said softly.

"She's not stupid, Ray. I'm sure she knows her limits." Winston added quietly. Ray nodded silently and continued staring out the window as they drove.

"I'm just…being cautious." He murmured distantly. Egon flashed a look at Peter who leaned over the seat and grasped Ray's shoulder firmly.

"Ray…you might think you're being cautious, but it's a little extreme don't you think? One minute you're laughing and being the cheerful Ray we all know and love and the next you switch into 'Strict Father Mode.' Why is that?" Peter asked. Ray nudged Peter's hand off of his shoulder.

"Just leave it alone, Pete. I'm worried about her, that's all." He said.

"Is that why you still want to send her home? You don't think the ghosts will still seek her out? What difference is it if she's here or down there?" Peter argued. Ray glared back at him in frustration.

"Whatever she can do, I think it's dangerous. That green energy glow is following her – and I don't believe that was just some odd coincidence when she nearly encountered it at that ice skating pond. I don't what it is, if she's causing it somehow or what, but I'm just worried. " Ray said angrily. Peter's intense gaze lessened as he regarded his friend knowingly.

"We're working on that, Ray." Egon interjected supportively. "But how can we know that whatever is controlling that energy won't follow her all the way back to Virginia?"

"She's safer here where we can keep an eye on her until we figure it out." Winston added with a reassuring glance at Ray.

"I know…" Ray said softly, his voice husky with regret. He looked like he was about to say something more but he kept his mouth shut as he raised his gaze back to the window. They had reached their destination.

The subway entrance they had been called to was surrounded by a crowd of people all arguing with the police blockade that had seemingly just been put into effect. A handful of cops walked briskly to the Ecto-1 and paved a small path to the subway entrance.

"Time to get to work." Ray said as he pushed open his door and pasted a smile on his face and got out of the car. The cops greeted him and the other Ghostbusters and quickly turned to lead them down into the subway to the ghost.

* * *

"Back at the Ghostbuster's firehouse, Nikki and Janine had scrounged up a tree and had moved it in with only a little difficulty. They had already managed to wrap bright white lights around it and Nikki had hurried out to purchase a handful of ornaments for the tree.

"Do you think it's a little too much?" Nikki asked as she draped a rope of sparkling garland over the corners of the Ghostbuster's lockers. She turned back to the tree and knelt next to a box of red ornaments to resume scattering them on the tree.

"It's all a little too much. The guys never have mentioned putting a Christmas tree up in here before, but I actually think it's kinda nice." Janine smiled as she worked her way through a box of black ornaments.

"Even with the tissues?" Nikki asked, staring at the array of white on the tree intermingling with the red and black. Janine smirked and nodded.

"Oh yeah. The guys are certainly going to be surprised when they get back and see it."

* * *

"Got it!" Peter exclaimed as he finally managed to wrangle the subway ghost, struggling to maneuver it over to the trap that Egon had waiting. As he moved his particle stream over towards the trap, the ghost shuddered and seemed to blur for a moment. Peter, his knuckles turning white with his grip on the thrower, blinked and shook his head as he tried to focus on the entangled ghost. Then slowly the thing came back into focus and a part of it drifted away from the trapped spirit.

"There's two of them?!" Winston exclaimed as he charged up his thrower and fired at the ghost struggling to free itself from Peter's hold.

"I got this one!" Ray said as he jogged a little ways down the track to where the other ghost had rounded the corner of the tunnel.

"Hurry up, Egon!" Winston said through gritted teeth as he tried to steady his hold on the ghost. Egon quickly hit the trap and the ghost disappeared with one final angry cry of protest.

"Alright, let's go get Ray!" Peter shouted as he ran down the tunnel after his colleague. Winston hurried after him while Egon stooped to quickly pick up the smoking trap.

"Hey, where'd it go?!" Ray's voice echoed down the tunnel. Egon glanced confusedly down at the PKE meter in his other hand and frowned. His eyes widened as he looked at the trap and the blinking of the light illuminated his face.

"It's a decoy! Ray, Peter, Winston, _get back here!"_ Egon shouted.

The shrill whistle of a subway train hurrying through the tunnel confirmed his theory, followed by the three Ghostbusters' exclamations of surprise. Egon hesitated, worried about his colleagues and then when he saw them run around the corner as fast as they could under the strain of their heavy equipment, he joined them.

"The platform! Where is it?!" Ray shouted, already out of breath. Winston pointed with his thrower, still unsheathed as they hurried to run.

"There! Around that corner!"

The whistle screeched and the tunnel around the Ghostbusters thundered with the fast approaching subway train. Egon kept a firm grip on the loaded trap at his side, afraid that the moment it fell, the ghost would be released and they would be risking their lives for nothing.

 _"_ _Come on!"_ Peter reached the platform first and hoisted himself onto it, quickly turning back to give Egon a hand and then Winston. Egon quickly set the trap on the ground and turned back as Ray reached them. The subway train was in view now, and the three Ghostbusters hurriedly pulled their remaining colleague up onto the platform with them. The train docked a mere seconds after as the Ghostbusters knelt on the ground, each one trying to catch their breath.

"Wow…" Winston said, shaking his head and bracing against his knees to stand back up as the passengers of the train hesitantly got off.

"Been a while since we've had one _that_ risky…" Peter agreed.

"What happened to the second ghost?" Ray asked Egon who was picking up the trap carefully. "I swear, it was right in front of me and then suddenly it was gone."

"It was a decoy. The one ghost knew that it was caught and in a last effort, it split and hoped we would be disconcerted enough to follow the decoy. When the original was caught, the decoy must have disappeared at the same moment." Egon explained, wiping the sweat off of his brow.

"Are you all alright? I – I didn't know you were down there, honest!" The driver parted through the crowd of passengers exiting the subway and pressed his hand to his forehead, thankful to see all four Ghostbusters in front of him unscathed.

"Yes, we're all fine. If we'd been down there a few seconds more, you might've had a mess on your hands, but everyone's still in one piece." Winston said with a smirk as he shook the man's hand.

"Thank goodness…" The driver said shakily. He looked back through the crowd and frowned as he noticed the lack of boarding passengers.

"Guess we'd better go get rid of that blockade up there." Ray said, smiling at the man before heading through the crowd and back up to street level, with the other Ghostbusters following closely.

* * *

Janine could hear the Ecto-1's siren from down the block and she quickly got up from her desk where she and Nikki had been admiring their handiwork. She opened the doors and the Ecto-1 glided smoothly into the firehouse moments later. Janine shivered and quickly shut the doors again as she watched the guys pile out of the car wearily.

"Hi!" Nikki said as she stood up from behind Janine's desk with a smile.

"Hey Little Stantz," Peter said with a yawn. He smirked at the girl who seemed equally tired and covered in glitter. He tilted his head to the side as he regarded her. "What happened to you?"

"Dad told me to decorate." She explained with a shrug. She gestured around the lower floor of the firehouse and the Ghostbusters finally took in their surroundings.

Glittering lights hung over every doorway and were even entwined with sparkling garland that ran up the railing of the steps to the second floor. A miniature white tree sat on the corner of Janine's desk, brightening up the secretary's bland space. But a majority of the space next to the Ghostbuster's lockers was taken up by the larger tree.

Nikki and Janine had obviously put much of their afternoon's work into the tree. Lights took up nearly every inch of it with red, black and white the only splashes of color on it. Egon took a step closer to the tree and plucked off one of the white decorations, which turned out to be a folded up tissue. Peter, Winston and Ray also moved closer to investigate, flashing confused glances up at Nikki and Janine.

"What's with the tissues?" Peter asked with amusement. Nikki smirked as she walked over to Egon and took the tissue from him and showed them.

"Look," She said as she untwisted the tissue. Inside was a small white ornament the size of a ping-pong ball and the tissue was tied around it in such a way that the corners of it fell down beneath the ornament. "They're little ghosts."

"Kid's got a sense of humor." Peter said as he swiped the handmade ornament from her hand and smirked at it. Nikki pursed her lips and watched as he replaced it on the tree.

"A Ghostbusters tree." Winston said, grinning up at it with amusement.

"Cute." Ray said, smiling as he nodded towards the rest of the firehouse and its decorations. "But you didn't have to go all out like you did."

"I wanted to. You wanted to keep me busy, so I decided to run with it." Nikki shrugged. Janine nodded and rolled her eyes jokingly.

"I just hope she's still around to help me when the time comes to take all of this back down." The secretary said lightly. Ray's smile fell slightly and he gestured to Egon who still held the loaded ghost trap.

"We should…probably get this guy down to the containment unit. He was a pretty nasty customer…don't need him getting loose." Ray said, taking the trap from Egon and heading down towards the basement. Nikki watched him go silently, and then turned back to the trio of Ghostbusters.

"Are you all okay? What happened?" She asked worriedly, noticing the weary expressions and stances of the remaining Ghostbusters.

"Just a little run-down. Your dad had a bit of a close call with that ghost, but other than that, we'll survive." Peter said.

Nikki glanced back towards the basement stairway where Ray had disappeared and stared after him worriedly.

"The place looks great, Nikki." Egon said with a supportive smile, knowing that she had recognized Ray's attempt at avoiding Janine's comment. Nikki smiled thankfully at the scientist.

"Does the décor extend to the second floor?" Peter rhymed as he headed up the stairs, running his hand along the garland as he went.

"No, just down here. I was afraid to go too far, so I tried to keep it simple." Nikki said, glancing at the tree where Winston still stood.

"Well if this is keeping it simple, I'd be interested to see what extravagant decorating is in your book." Winston said. He patted her on the shoulder before heading up the stairs to shower after the evening's bust. When he'd gone upstairs, Janine glanced down at her watch and then up at Egon.

"Is there anything else I can help out with before I go home, Egon?" Janine asked, scooping up some of the empty ornament boxes and stashing them underneath her desk. Egon smiled at her knowingly and shook his head.

"No, I think we'll be fine here. Thanks, Janine." Egon murmured as the secretary bundled up in her coat and grabbed her purse. She rounded the desk and smiled at him before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"See you in the morning." She said to him. She gave Nikki a quick hug before shuffling towards the door. Nikki smiled up at Egon noticing the slight blush that crept across his face as he watched the secretary go.

When they were left alone, Nikki cleared her throat and glanced back towards the basement where Ray had disappeared. She nodded towards the stairs.

"Do you think it'd be alright if I went and talked to him? What happened out there?" Nikki asked worriedly.

"It probably wouldn't hurt for you to go and see him. He's not really upset about what happened to him with the ghost, I think it's more like he seems to be torn about what to do after witnessing your abilities. I think, as your father, he's just overprotective about you." Egon said gently. Nikki sighed and nodded in understanding.

"Which means he's still set on sending me home in a few days." She said. Egon nodded confirmation and Nikki turned towards the basement stairs.

"Just…try to be understanding, Nikki. He's had a rough couple of days." Egon said, resting a hand on Nikki's shoulder. Nikki nodded back at him and smiled wearily.

"I will. Thanks Egon." She said as she headed past Janine's desk and towards the back of the firehouse where the stairs led down to the basement.


	21. Nighttime Visits

**Spent most of my New Year's Day writing this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it! Please give me some feedback on the story so far! I've been suffering a bit of writer's block the past few days, so I need all the help I can get!**

Nikki descended into the basement and found her father seated at the small desk in front of the containment unit fiddling with the emptied trap. When she quietly reached the bottom of the stairs, Ray glanced up at the intrusion.

"Hey sweetheart," Ray said, smiling wearily at her as she stood in front of him, flashing a curious glance up at the containment unit. "You alright?"

"I came down here to see if _you_ were alright." Nikki said with a halfhearted smile. Ray looked back down at the trap in his hands and sighed, clearly drained.

"I'll get by." He muttered. Nikki pursed her lips and rounded the desk and regarded her father who was avoiding her gaze.

"Like you've always done, right?" Nikki said, slight sarcasm in her voice.

Ray looked up at her quizzically as she offered him her hand. He put the trap down on the desktop after a moment and took her hand gently.

"I would read all the time when I was growing up about the Ghostbusters, and I just couldn't believe that my dad was a part of them." She murmured with a small smile as she squeezed his hand lightly. "But now, to see the effects and the strain that's put on you all day after day…I can't imagine how hard it is for you to have me be here in the midst of it all."

"I did it for you." Ray said quietly and he shrugged as he glanced up at her carefully.

Nikki blinked and looked at him in surprise. He smiled wearily and motioned for her to sit with him and she perched on his knee like she had when she was a small child.

"Everything we faced…Gozer…Vigo…even the smaller threats…I could only think of how it would somehow affect you back home. If we hadn't been able to defeat Gozer, or Vigo for that matter, their presence would have eventually spread across the globe and to you. And I don't know what I would've done if that had somehow happened." Ray murmured softly.

Nikki watched him carefully and remained silent for a moment as he looked at the trap on the desk. She was at a loss of words with his emotional outburst, having thought for most of her life that he had abandoned her and hadn't given his daughter a second thought. She had eventually figured out that her ghost-seeing ability had been the conclusive reason for her parents' separation but she thought it was he who had sent her away. But in reality, he had thought about her all these years.

"I'm sorry, Dad." She said gently. He looked up at her questioningly and she lowered her gaze to the trap on the table. "I know…it's my fault that you and Mom…"

"No…no it's not your fault at all. She was never really receptive to the idea of ghosts in the first place…it would've ended sometime later on anyway." He said slowly. He smiled at her warily and pulled her into a hug. "Besides, knowing that I have a daughter who takes after me so well makes up for the past."

"I take after you a little _too_ well, don't you think?" Nikki asked with a smile. Ray smirked lightheartedly.

"Which is why you've gotta be careful." He said lightly. Nikki nodded and leaned against her father's shoulder wearily.

"I _am_ careful. You know, you should be more careful with what you do too…" She said gently as she noticed the disheveled look of his hair and the exhausted look in his eyes. He smiled and shook his head as he laughed quietly.

"In this profession, there _is_ no careful."

* * *

That night, the dark figure manifested in the girl's bedroom once more. She was sitting up late with her nose in a book, sleep clouding her eyes. The cat that slept at the foot of her bed pricked its ears up warningly but the figure kept its distance against the wall by the window, ready to retreat if the need be.

The girl flipped through another page in her book and stifled a yawn. She rubbed at her face wearily and shook her head. The figure smiled darkly as it realized she was attempting to stay awake, avoiding sleep for some reason.

The girl glanced at the clock next to her bed and frowned at it before looking back warily at her book. The figure floated closer as she sighed and folded the book on the edge of her nightstand. She laid back down and rolled over, pulling the covers up to her face as she turned her back to the shadowy figure. The figure glanced to its side where the girl had left her lamp on to dimly light the room. A wider smile spread across its face as it ran its clawed hand through the lamp, sucking the light from the room and leaving it in darkness.

The figure could see the girl's terrified face as she whirled around in the dark, searching for whatever had turned her light off. A hiss sounded from the end of the bed and the girl instantly jumped out from under her covers and against the opposite wall of her room.

"…Hello?!" She called out worriedly. The figure resisted the urge to laugh at her timid attempt to reason with whatever was terrorizing her. She cried out in surprise as the cat leapt from the bed with a loud thump and hissed at the figure warningly. It stood between the girl and the figure that was gliding over the bed silently, unseen by the girl in the dark.

The figure hesitated in front of the cat which hissed and growled defensively at its approach. The cat's eyes were locked on the figure, even in the dark and the figure sent a pulse of energy towards the cat that made it yowl and retreat a few feet away.

"Hal?!" The girl cried, looking in the direction of the cat's guttural growls.

The figure moved closer to the girl who turned her head back in its direction as she sensed its advance.

"What do you want?!" The girl said shakily. The figure smiled once more as it reached for her face.

"Nikki?!"

The girl's father burst into the room, light from the hallway quickly filling the darkened space and shining on the figure. The girl's eyes widened in recognition and the figure growled in agitation as it flew in a wide circle around the room in front of her. It melted through the window and disappeared outside of the apartment building, leaving the girl staring after it in horror.

* * *

Ray rushed to Nikki's side, avoiding the cat as it streaked over Nikki's bed and towards the window. Nikki was close to terrified tears as Ray wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"What is it, Nikki? Another nightmare?" He asked hurriedly. Nikki shook her head and pointed, pulling herself out of his grasp as she headed around the bed to where Hal sat in the windowsill staring down into the streets searchingly.

"No…there was someone here…" Nikki said, her voice trembling. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest and she looked down at her nightstand and attempted to click her lamp back on. Her hand met with something cold and she jerked it back and raised her palm up to her face, her blood running cold.

Ray quickly grabbed her wrist and a chill rushed through him as well as he led Nikki out of her bedroom and into the living room where he picked up the phone. Nikki continued to stare down in horror at the green residue covering her palm as Ray dialed the phone, his fingers shaking with adrenaline as he did so.

"Spengler! I knew you'd still be awake. Nikki says something was just in her room…yeah. I don't know…it left something that looks like the glowing green energy as a residue in there though…"

Ray turned back to Nikki who looked suddenly pale and shaky on her feet. She swayed forward and her knees buckled as she fell forward and collapsed on the floor.

"Nikki!" Ray exclaimed as he darted a step toward her, then remembered the phone in his hand. "Just…get here as fast as you can, okay Egon?"

Ray hung up the phone hurriedly and then rounded the couch to check on Nikki, who was out cold. He carefully lifted her into her arms to the best of his ability and set her on the couch. He paced the living room floor, afraid to leave the room for fear that whatever had frightened her would come back. After a few moments, he fell into the armchair across from the couch and leaned forward with his head in his hands as the fears he had expressed to his colleagues that afternoon were seemingly coming true.

* * *

Nearly fifteen minutes passed until Ray finally heard a knock on his apartment door. He glanced down at Nikki who had slowly stirred awake just five minutes before. She was wrapped in one of the blankets Ray kept in the living room and leaning into Ray's side for comfort. She hadn't spoken a word since she had resumed consciousness and she had a dazed look in her face as she stared blankly at the coffee table in front of the couch.

"That's Egon…I'll be right back, Nikki." Ray said gently as he eased up from the couch. Nikki glanced up at him slowly and watched as he threw another worried glance back at her before opening the door.

"What happened?" Peter exclaimed, pushing past Ray as he walked into the apartment. Egon followed closely behind with his PKE meter ready, shrugging at Ray as he shut the door behind him.

"Venkman was woken up by your call. He demanded to know what was going on and when I told him, we had to wake up Winston and tell him that he was left in charge." Egon mumbled quickly to Ray.

"Is she alright?" Peter asked, his hands on his hips as he noticed Nikki looking away from the trio at the door. Ray shook his head wearily.

"She's really shaken up about it. She fainted while I was on the phone with Egon, and ever since I got her to wake up a few minutes ago, she hasn't said a word." Ray explained quietly.

"She fainted? Because of nerves or what?" Peter asked quickly. Ray shrugged and looked back at her.

"Nerves, I think – I hope." Ray said, running his hand through his hair. He was still in his pajama pants and t-shirt having not left the room after Nikki's cries had woken him.

"Can you show me where you found the residue?" Egon asked as he took off his coat and tossed it onto the back of an armchair. Ray nodded and started to lead the way to Nikki's darkened bedroom. Peter noticed Ray's hesitation and nodded at his friend.

"Go ahead, I'll stay with her." Peter reassured him.

"Thanks, Venkman." Ray said wearily. He turned and led Egon to the room, grabbing a flashlight from a drawer as he went.

"Little Stantz? Wanna tell me what happened?" Peter asked softly as he headed into the living room to where she still sat on the couch.

Nikki pulled the blanket closer around her shoulders as he sat down next to her. She looked at him guardedly and then shook her head slowly. He smiled encouragingly at her as she looked around the room.

"So you saw something?" He asked after a moment. Her dark-eyed gaze landed on him and she nodded shakily.

"I recognized it." She said softly. Peter raised his eyebrows worriedly.

"You did?" He asked gently. She nodded and her eyes were thoughtful and tear-filled as she clenched the blanket around her nervously.

"It was the thing from the pool. I'm sure of it. But there was something else about him too…"

Peter's eyes widened and he looked up as Egon and Ray reentered the room, having heard the end of the conversation. Hal trailed the two scientists into the living room and leapt up onto the arm of the couch next to Nikki, his eyes still wide from the scare.

"Did you find anything?" Peter asked Egon who was examining his PKE meter. Egon looked up and nodded slowly.

"The readings match what we found at the pool and the pond." He confirmed. He held a small container up with a bit of the glowing green residue he had gotten off of Nikki's lamp.

"So what are we going to do?" Nikki asked warily. She stood up to look at the two Ghostbusters behind her. "I tried to stay awake tonight and as soon as I was about to fall asleep, it came."

"Maybe one of us could stay here and keep an eye out for it." Peter suggested.

"I doubt it will come back with us here ready for it, Venkman." Egon said drily. Peter shrugged.

"Well, I'd be willing to stay here just in case." Peter offered. "I'd even be comfy on the couch here."

"I'll take this back to analyze it at the lab." Egon said, pocketing the container as he grabbed his coat and headed for the door. He glanced at Peter who was already fluffing some of the couch pillows in an attempt to get comfortable. "You call me if you notice anything out of the ordinary."

"Will do, Egon." Peter said with a wave. Nikki smiled halfheartedly at him and then looked up as Ray shut the door behind Egon.

"Think you'll be alright now, Nikki? Egon's going to check out the traces that the ghost left and with two Ghostbusters in the house, I'm sure the thing won't return tonight." Ray said gently. Nikki shrugged and settled into an armchair, her cat leaping down from the arm of the couch and following her.

"I don't know if I can sleep anytime soon, but I do feel a little safer." She said quietly. Peter laid back on the couch and stretched as Ray headed to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee.

"We'll find out what this thing is, Nikki. In the meantime, maybe a little television will calm you down a bit." Peter said as he grabbed the remote from the coffee table and switched it on to a late night comedy movie. Nikki curled up beneath the large blanket and watched for a while before eventually nodding off to sleep, her cat snuggled reassuringly in her lap.


	22. Hectic Morning

**I know this chapter may seem like it's going everywhere and nowhere, but I promise it's going to make sense in the end. I'm probably going to spend the next few days frantically writing because I'm getting nearer and nearer to the end! I really hope you'll give me some feedback on how it's going so far and maybe even help me with some ideas. Thanks guys! :)**

Nikki awoke the next morning to see that Peter was gone and Ray was making breakfast in the kitchen. She was still in the armchair and as she stretched out, she noticed that an extra blanket had been tossed over her during the night. She smiled as she watched her father work his way through frying a few eggs.

"Where's Peter?" Nikki asked as she stood up from the chair, stiff from sleeping in it for the past several hours. Ray glanced up and smiled at his daughter wearily.

"He went home a little over an hour ago. He'll meet us back at the firehouse later on." He explained. Nikki, still wrapped in one of the blankets, shuffled to the kitchen counter and sat on one of the barstools as Ray finished up making breakfast. Hal meowed at her quietly from his bowl which Ray had obviously refilled with his cat food.

"Did Egon find anything out?" She asked quietly in reference to the sample he had taken from her lamp. Ray scooped the eggs onto a plate and set them in front of Nikki.

"He hasn't called yet, but that doesn't mean anything." Ray said reassuringly. Nikki nodded vacantly as Ray turned back to the stove.

"So what does today have in store for us?" Nikki asked wearily. "More tests and fun stuff?"

Ray smirked as he switched the stove off and dropped the pan he had used to cook in the sink. He opened the fridge and got out a jug of milk and a carton of orange juice. He set it on the counter and Nikki took a glass and poured herself some juice.

"Well, we definitely need to do some more looking for whatever was after you last night. Maybe just to be safe you should come in with me again." Ray said seriously. Nikki nodded over her glass.

"Definitely." She said in agreement.

* * *

Nikki and Ray arrived at the Ghostbusters' firehouse a little over an hour later after finishing breakfast. Nikki had even grabbed an extra set of clothes to bring with her in case Egon decided to test out her abilities with a fidgety ghost again.

They walked into the building and the first thing Nikki noticed was that Janine wasn't sitting at her desk like normal. She glanced at a clock on the wall and raised her eyebrows. It was only a little past eight in the morning…apparently Nikki hadn't gotten as much sleep as she thought she had.

Ray led the way up to the second floor where Egon was flipping searchingly through a few books in the middle of the room. As Ray and Nikki entered the room, the Ghostbuster turned around and smiled in relief at their approach.

"I wasn't expecting you this early." He said as he set the book down on the pool table. He gestured at the bunkroom behind him. "Winston's still asleep and Peter hasn't come in yet."

"Probably still back at his apartment." Ray commented as he took off his coat and hung it by the door. Egon nodded knowingly.

"Did you find anything?" Nikki asked, pointing at the array of books and microscopic equipment on his desk. Egon led the way over to the desk.

"As I said before, it's the same type of energy that radiated from the pool and from the pond. But both times we weren't able to get an actual physical sample from it, so this was a step further in our research." Egon explained.

"Which is good," Ray added, nodding as he glanced over the desktop. Nikki moved closer to the books that were scattered over the tabletop.

"Okay, so what are we looking for now?" She asked, peering at the computer screen which seemed to be scanning.

"I've been running this scan for almost six hours now, since I left Ray's apartment." Egon said. "The energy coming from this particular sample seems to come from a class three haunt. The fact that it appears to be tied to you is really interesting though, so it may actually be a class four."

"Is that…bad?" Nikki asked.

"A class three is the type of entity that generally keeps its human form. But if the spirit starts to communicate or possesses the ability to think for itself, it's a class four." Egon shrugged.

"And we've faced several of both over the years. They're not too much to handle." Ray said with a smile. "We just need to find this one and put an end to it. That way I won't have to worry about you when you go home at the end of the week."

Nikki glanced up at him sharply and was silent for a long moment as Egon continued to show the two of them his findings so far. Nikki stepped back from the desk and let Ray move closer to see the information on the screen that Egon was indicating. She moved away from the desk and towards the window where she looked down at the streets. The cold had gotten pretty intense over the last few days, so not many people were walking by outside.

Nikki felt a cold chill spread through her chest as she pressed her palm against the glass of the window and froze as she noticed that Shawn was down on the sidewalk looking up at her. As she looked down at him he smiled sheepishly and took a hand out of his pockets to wave up at her. She smiled and then her gaze landed on a taxi that had slowed down in front of the firehouse outside. Peter climbed out and turned back to pay the driver. Nikki waved down at Shawn before turning away from the window and heading for the stairs.

"What's going on?" Ray asked as he broke his conversation with Egon, noticing Nikki's sudden eagerness.

"Shawn's outside. And Peter just got here." She said quickly as she grabbed her coat and threw it over her shoulders, not bothering to slip her arms in the sleeves. She rushed down the stairs, glad to have Shawn as an excuse to take her mind off of the comment her father had made about still sending her home. She reached the ground floor and hurried to the door and pulled it open, the cold air from outside rushing in.

"Hey Little Stantz! Who hired you as the doorman?!" Peter asked as he quickly scurried in from the sidewalk. He moved to pull the door shut after him but Nikki pushed past him and out in front of the building.

Shawn was gone.

 _"…_ _What?"_ She murmured, looking both ways down the street and still seeing no sign of him. Her heart fell and she hurried to peer around the corner of the building to see if he was jokingly hiding from her.

"What's the matter?" Peter asked from the doorway. Nikki shook her head in disbelief, still looking around wildly.

"Shawn?" She called out warily. The few people passing by on the street flashed Nikki an annoyed glance as they hurried by the building. _"Where are you?!"_

"Nikki, what's wrong?" Peter tried again, looking around hurriedly as well. Nikki whirled around, her eyes frantic as she looked at him.

"You saw him didn't you? He was standing right here…" She said, gesturing to the spot on the sidewalk in front of the door. She pointed up to the second story window above them. "He waved at me just as you were getting out of your cab…"

"I didn't see anyone standing here…" Peter said, shaking his head slowly. Nikki stared at him in confusion before swallowing hard and turning and looking down the street.

"He was _right here_ …" She muttered as if trying to reassure herself. Peter stepped toward her and reached a hand out to the frantic girl.

"Nikki, it's freezing out here. Come inside, and if he shows up we'll let him in. There's no sense in making a scene about it…" He tried to reason as another few people passed by with intrigued looks on their faces. Nikki shrugged away from him and pulled her coat closer around herself before trudging down the sidewalk away from the firehouse.

Peter watched her go in surprise, staring after her for several minutes before glancing longingly at the interior of the firehouse where the warmth of its interior beckoned to him. He mumbled under his breath before shutting the door and heading down the sidewalk after her, shoving his hands in his pockets grumpily as he walked.

* * *

Nikki walked for over half an hour, until she could barely feel her feet in her boots from the cold. She finally reached her destination and pushed open the apartment building doors, letting the warmth of the building wash over her. She quickly approached the desk clerk who eyed her in surprise. He nodded to her as she stopped in front of him, still shivering.

"Can I help you?" He asked with an eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Can you tell me which apartment Shawn Barlow is in?" She asked. The clerk blinked and glanced down at a book in front of him slowly. "He told me he's staying with some friends, but I'm sure his name would be there, right?"

"It should be…" The man said thoughtfully as he flipped through his book. A few moments passed and finally he looked up at Nikki. "Miss…uh…"

"Stantz." She said quickly. The man's face brightened with recognition and he pointed at her.

"Hey…you're Dr. Stantz' daughter?!" He exclaimed. Nikki nodded and tapped her fingers on the desktop impatiently.

"Is Shawn here?" She pressed him. He looked down at the book and shut it slowly.

"I'm sorry…I don't recognize the name and it's not in the records..." The man shrugged and gave her an apologetic look. Nikki stepped back from the desk, her eyes downcast. She nodded at the man thankfully and then turned and walked back out onto the cold street.

Across from the building, she spotted the cemetery she had walked in with Shawn not a week ago. She shook her head and ran a hand through her long hair nervously.

"I didn't imagine him…did I?" She said to herself worriedly. She blinked as something cold hit her nose and she glanced up at the sky to see that it was snowing. She set her jaw and hugged her arms close to her body as she crossed the street to the cemetery. Without a second thought, she pushed open the gates with a sharp shriek and shut it carefully behind her.

* * *

"Alright…antenna is adjusted like you told me to do, Egon." Winston said as he climbed down from the stairwell that led to the roof of the Ghostbusters' building. He shivered as he joined the other two men, snow falling off of his jacket.

"Great. Within about…" Egon glanced at his watch. "Thirty minutes…we should be able to see if there are any traces of energy in the nearby area."

"I'll go and tell Nikki. She and her friend must be getting along alright with Venkman down there. I haven't heard much from them, at least." Ray said, heading for the stairs. Egon nodded and went back to his computer, watching as the scan slowly turned up seemingly empty.

Ray descended the stairs, noticing that Janine had come in quietly and had already immersed herself in a magazine. She smiled up at Ray as he reached the ground floor.

"Morning Ray. Looking for something?" She asked cheerfully. Ray scratched his head as he stopped at her desk.

"Yeah…I thought Nikki and Peter were down here…" He said slowly. He glanced past the brightly lit Christmas tree and looked back at Janine who shrugged.

"I didn't see anyone when I came in a while ago. Should we be worried?" She asked quickly as she noticed the confused look on the man's face. Ray glanced at the door which was shut tight from the snow filled streets outside.

"I don't know. Let's hope that she's somewhere out there with Venkman…" Ray said. He was interrupted by Egon who called out his name from the second floor. He looked up hurriedly to see Egon and Winston rushing out of the doorway and onto the landing at the top of the stairs.

"Ray! We've got a reading!" Egon exclaimed excitedly. He looked down at the paper in his hand and then back down at Ray. "It's even closer than before!"

"I've got the car!" Winston said, already halfway down the stairs. Ray felt a chill wash over him as he watched Egon disappear upstairs to gather his equipment. He realized that he had no idea where Nikki was, but he had a sinking feeling that she may be in danger…again.


	23. Shawn

**I tried to post this last night but for some reason it wouldn't let me. But I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out, thanks to my cousin for helping me get through my mixed feelings about it. So, let me know what you think about it! Enjoy! :D**

Nikki walked quickly through the cemetery, glancing around searchingly through the light snowfall. She finally stopped as she reached the large aboveground crypt that Shawn had indicated as his parents' tomb. She stared up at the name engraved along the top of it and shook her head as it had remained unchanged since she'd last seen it.

"Shawn?" She called out warily.

She looked around at the silent graveyard, hearing the distant sound of the street traffic going by as she sat down on the steps of the crypt. Her head buzzed with thoughts on her few encounters with Shawn. When they'd first met at the coffee shop, she thought he had been mocking her at first but over the next day in the cemetery they had opened up to each other so easily. Then when he had taken her ice skating, everything had seemed to fall apart when the green supernatural energy had made its reappearance. But he had worried about her as a friend who had known her for years would.

Nikki cupped her hands around her mouth and breathed into them to warm her fingers. She ran her hands down her upper arms thoughtfully and distantly heard the cemetery gates creak open. She glanced up hurriedly as a figure emerged from the side of the crypt.

"What are you doing out here, Nikki?"

Shawn sat down on the steps next to her with a worried look on his face. She looked at him in disbelief and back towards where the sound of the gate had echoed.

"Where were you?" She asked him demandingly. Her eyes were pleading as he stared down at her silently. The snow thickened into fat flakes that gave the air around them a cloudy look and Shawn's dark hair floated softly around his face as he regarded her carefully. Finally his face turned solemn.

"You know more than you think you do." He murmured quietly.

Nikki blinked, taken aback and she felt her heart skip a beat as Shawn lifted his hand to brush her hair away from her face tenderly. The snow that had speckled her dark hair fell slightly and Nikki suddenly noticed that Shawn's own hair was snow free. Her gaze faltered as she slowly took one of her hands out of the crook of her arm and held it out to him carefully. Shawn's eyes landed on her palm and he looked up at her, his eyes sad.

As Nikki's hand grew closer to Shawn's, she felt a familiar heat slowly warm up her palm. Her heart sped up and she quickly withdrew her hand as she stared at him in disbelief. His gaze remained steadily on her and he watched her piece things together.

"Shawn…" She breathed, studying his pale face. She shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "You're…dead."

Shawn stiffened slightly but nodded down at her, his eyes not moving from her face. Nikki looked away from him slowly and brought her knees up to her chest as the snow continued to fall around them.

"No wonder you were so open to believe me." She murmured. Shawn smirked sadly at her and wrapped an arm around her reassuringly. She flinched at his touch but he didn't remove his hand from her shoulder.

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked gently. "That I believed you?"

"I must have looked like a crazy person…talking to you in the coffee shop, and ice skating…" She leaned forward and rested her forehead against her knees. "And even this morning, when I ran around town looking for you…"

Shawn was silent for a moment and he pulled her closer to him.

"I'm sorry, Nikki…I didn't know you'd react this way…" He said gently. She stiffened and raised her tear streaked face to him.

"So…I'm guessing that you want my help? Is that why you've been following me?" She asked him softly. She wiped the tears from her face and stared at him cautiously. Shawn looked thoughtful for a moment and then slowly shook his head.

"In all of my years, I've never met someone like you…" He murmured. "I've seen what you can do and it's…amazing. How could I leave you, knowing that you're so special?"

Nikki stared up at him, and frowned. She blinked the confusion away and shifted under his arm.

"You've…seen what I can do…?" She repeated cautiously. Shawn stared down at her and his eyes were serious as he softly replied.

"I was in that house when you helped that little girl the other day."

Nikki shook her head in disbelief as she thought back to the day when she had prevented her father and his friends from harming little Anna.

"But…I would have noticed that…" She stammered, her chin trembling with the cold and her nerves. She glanced down at her hands and then back up at Shawn. "I would have at least felt your presence…"

"You don't think I'd really want to be noticed with the Ghostbusters around, do you?" Shawn smiled wearily. Nikki frowned and raised her eyebrows.

"How long have you been following me?" She murmured, her heart still hammering in her chest. The snow had accumulated on the ground of the cemetery around them, covering the walkways in a thin layer of powder. Shawn gently dusted the snow from Nikki's shoulders and clasped his hands together in front of him.

"Only since the day we met in the coffee shop." He said casually.

"You know…this really isn't fair." She said, smiling sadly. Shawn scoffed and nodded in agreement. He once more put his arm around her and she leaned into his shoulder hesitantly.

"It really isn't…I sometimes miss the little things like having snow in my hair." He said, gently brushing her snow- speckled hair over her shoulder. She smiled and raised her hand to his wrist, the warm feeling of her power radiating over her palm as she neared his hand. Shawn stared at her approaching hand and moved his arm down so that she grasped his wrist over his sleeve, feeling the warmth of her nearness and power.

"I bet you don't miss the cold though." She said. Nikki looked up at him slowly, recalling the previous morning when she had kissed his freezing cold cheek. "…Can you even feel the cold?"

Shawn looked thoughtful for a moment, pursing his lips as he glanced up distantly across the stone walkway at the surrounding gravestones. He finally slowly shook his head.

"It's really hard to explain…there's a sense of cold no matter where I go."

He took his arm from around her and raised his hand to her cheeks, which were red from the frigid outside air. He gently ran his fingers down her face, and she stared carefully at the pondering expression on his face as he did so.

"That sounds awful…" Nikki whispered sadly, shivering as his fingertips grazed her jaw. She clasped her arms tighter around herself and Shawn regarded her thoughtfully for a moment.

"How about we go somewhere to get you out of the cold?" Shawn suggested lightly. Nikki looked up at him and shook her head.

"Where can we go? I certainly can't go back to my dad like this. He and the others probably saw the whole episode that I had outside the firehouse a while ago." She scoffed.

"Yeah it was pretty funny." He said lightly. When she flashed an annoyed glance at him he shrugged. "I'm sorry. But your dad's friend was watching…I couldn't really show myself then."

"What about yesterday when you talked to me across the street from the firehouse? You didn't think they'd see anything then?" She said frowning.

"I…had to make sure you were alright. After that scare at the park, they took you away from me so fast that I didn't know what to do." He admitted softly. Nikki blinked in confusion and she licked her lips as she braced herself for what she was about to ask him.

"So…you say that you were following me when I helped that little girl…" She said slowly. Shawn's eyes remained locked on her face as she continued. "…Do you know anything about the dark figure that I've been seeing in my room?"

"I'm not sure…" Shawn tilted his head to the side. "In your _room?"_

"It tried to attack me last night. If my dad hadn't shown up…I don't know what it would have done…" She said softly. Shawn blinked in confusion and glanced around searchingly.

"Maybe I can keep an eye out for it tonight. Would you want me to stay with you?" He asked gently. Nikki looked up at him and smiled hesitantly.

"You would do that?" She asked. He nodded.

"Of course." He said simply. "I want to make sure you stay safe while you're here."

Nikki smiled up at him, her heart leaping at his worrying over her. He had taken a liking to her, even though he was a ghost and she realized with a pang of sadness that she had fallen for him as well. She straightened up and shook the snow from her hair once more.

"Can I try something?" She asked quickly, leaning up towards him. He smirked down at her in amusement and flashed her a guarded look.

"You're not going to send me away like you did to that little girl, are you?" He said jokingly.

She smiled timidly and clasped her hands behind her back as he leaned down toward her. She gently kissed him on the cheek and pulled away to look up at him curiously.

"How is it that I can do that, but whenever I try to touch you with my hands you-"

Shawn smirked playfully down at her and he quickly leaned forward, his lips meeting hers. Surprised at the cool shock, she flinched and started to pull away but his hands grasped her arms to keep her there. She slowly relaxed and let the moment happen and felt her arms wrap slowly around his torso. He held her tighter and his hand gently wound its way through her hair unconsciously. There was a sudden pause and then he quickly pulled away. Nikki opened her eyes in confusion to see that Shawn had disappeared.

"Shawn?!" She gasped, the snow-filled air in front of her clouding with her breath.

"Did you find him?"

Nikki looked up hastily as Peter emerged, walking down the snowy walkway. She froze, staring at him as he approached. He was hunched against the cold, his arms crossed across his body as he looked down at her knowingly.

"How long have you been here?" She asked him as she shakily got to her feet.

"Long enough." Peter admitted, as he stopped on the walkway in front of her. "So…your friend's a ghost, I take it?"

Nikki shivered, dusted the snow off her coat and glanced quickly down at where Shawn had sat merely seconds before. As she'd expected, there was no imprint in the snow from where he'd been.

"I didn't know before…he just told me." She looked up at Peter, expecting him to have a judging expression on his face, but surprisingly he didn't. He slowly extended an arm to her and smiled wearily.

"Come on, it's freezing out here." He said gently. Nikki carefully descended the couple of steps in front of the Barlow crypt and leaned into Peter's side as he turned to walk them out of the cemetery.

* * *

The Ecto-1 pulled up alongside the cemetery gates, the snow thinning only by a little bit. Ray and Egon got out of the car first, Egon holding out his PKE meter as the lights blinked slowly on the device's small arms. He shook his head as he studied it and the device went silent as the trace of energy was suddenly lost. Ray quickly moved to the back of the vehicle and opened it up to grab his proton pack. He shook his head as he slipped one strap of the pack onto his shoulder.

"If she's out here…" Ray murmured regretfully.

"Hang on, Ray." Egon said, as he peered past him and into the cemetery where two figures emerged through the falling snow. Ray paused and glanced up in relief as Peter shoved the cemetery gate open, pushing through the few inches of snow that had accumulated on the sidewalk.

"Venkman! Nikki!" Ray exclaimed, replacing the pack in the back of the car as the two of them stopped on the sidewalk.

"She's alright." Peter said as he gently pushed Nikki towards Ray who quickly enveloped her in a hug.

"Why did you come all the way down here?" Winston asked, looking at the cemetery in confusion. Nikki looked up at the man over her father's shoulder and Peter quickly explained intervened.

"Why did _you_ come all the way down here?" Peter retorted, looking at the other three Ghostbusters in surprise. Egon looked up from the silent PKE meter and Ray gently pulled away from Nikki and looked her over.

"We got the reading we were looking for. But as soon as we got here, it was gone just like last time." Ray explained, looking at Nikki. "Did you see anything?"

"…No green energy like before, no." She replied softly. Her voice was thick, like she'd been crying and Ray studied her carefully before looking up at Peter for his input.

"Cemetery's clean. Let's continue this questionnaire where it's warmer." Peter said as he rounded the car and got into the backseat. Winston got back into the driver's seat and Egon ducked into the back with Peter.

"Come on, Dad." Nikki murmured as she brushed the snow from her clothes one last time before climbing into the front seat. Ray followed her and shut the door against the freezing snow outside.


	24. Another Party Trick

**It took me a while to get through this chapter, so I apologize in advance if it seems a bit choppy in some places. I'm getting close to the end so maybe I'm stalling a little bit but...:D**

 **I hope you like this chapter and if you have any questions/comments, don't hesitate to let me know!**

"Your friend…is a ghost?" Egon asked. Nikki had relayed all she knew on the way back to the firehouse, from the first day she'd met Shawn in the coffee shop up until he had disappeared outside the firehouse and she had found him at his parent's tomb in the cemetery.

"And you didn't know before now?" Ray asked her skeptically. He was in the kitchen making a pot of coffee while she stood over by the pool table surrounded by the other three Ghostbusters.

"Dad, I've tried to tell you that I can't tell the difference between ghosts and other people..." She said impatiently. Ray shook his head.

"You can't tell the difference?" He repeated in disbelief as he poured himself a cup of steaming coffee. Nikki's gaze faltered as she stared at her father.

"No…I can't." She said levelly, as if daring him to confront her about it. "Don't you remember the tests you and Egon put me through just yesterday?"

"Give her a break, Ray." Winston said, noticing the tension building up in the room. Nikki gave the man a thankful gaze but returned quickly to her worried look as Ray turned around to face them.

"I just don't understand…you've seen this guy how many times now? And you _really_ didn't know he was dead?" He reasoned. Nikki set her jaw and shrugged.

"Looking back now…I guess I should have known. But he was smart enough to avoid situations where someone would know that he wasn't there. Like when we were ice skating the other day at the park, he coincidentally had somewhere else to be while I got my skates. Then as soon as I had mine on, he had his." Nikki said. She shook her head and leaned back against the pool table solemnly. "And it just never occurred to me to ask anything like that."

"So this ghost has been communicating with you several times now." Egon said. Nikki nodded slowly and Egon crossed his arms as he regarded her thoughtfully. "Once you found out that he was, well…dead…did he mention why he was still here? And why he was targeting you?"

"I thought for sure that it was because he had wanted my help in crossing over or something. But when I asked him if that was the reason…he said no." Nikki said, frowning.

"I don't know about you guys, but that feels like it's setting off a few warning bells to me." Winston said.

"Not necessarily. Could be the guy was just lonely and after realizing that pretty Little Stantz here was the only one who could see him, he decided to befriend her." Peter said lightly. He smirked as he nudged Nikki playfully. "What's this guy look like?"

Nikki glanced from his joking face to her father's worried expression across from her. She cleared her throat and shook her head.

"Just…a normal guy." She said softly. "He didn't want to hurt me, which obviously was another reason I couldn't tell that he was a ghost. He even offered to help me find out what the dark figure I keep seeing in my room is and how to get rid of it."

"He did?" Egon asked.

"What about the traces of that green energy stuff we followed to the cemetery where we found you? How do we know that he isn't a part of that?" Ray interrupted quickly.

"Because I didn't see that when I was with him this time. I –" Nikki started to protest. Peter laughed quietly and she glanced at him in surprise.

"You were kind of occupied from what I could see." He said. Nikki flashed him a disbelieving look as the other three Ghostbusters glanced at the girl in surprise.

"What happened?" Egon was the first to speak after a few seconds. Nikki shook her head quickly at Peter and the man shrugged and smirked at the other three Ghostbusters.

"Little Stantz was just…"

Peter was interrupted by the high pitched whirring of the forgotten PKE meter on Egon's desk. The room went silent as Egon turned back and picked the meter up, studying the device in confusion.

"Another alert?" Winston asked quickly. Egon shook his head.

"No, this is close by." Egon murmured thoughtfully.

"What do you mean, 'close by?' Like, down the block or what?" Peter asked. Egon shook his head.

"As in, close by _in the room_."

Nikki glanced up as a cool breeze blew past her, brushing through her hair gently. She frowned as she followed the direction it floated and her heart leapt in her chest as she noticed Shawn standing in the corner of the room furthest away from the group of people. He gave her an amused smirk and crossed his arms across his chest.

"I'm 'just a normal guy' huh?" He said as he raised an eyebrow. She smiled in surprise and glanced around at the Ghostbusters who apparently were oblivious to his presence other than what readings showed up on the meter.

"Sorry," Nikki said softly to him. Shawn smiled at her and then glanced back at the Ghostbusters who turned at her voice.

"What?" Ray asked, glancing at Nikki worriedly. Nikki looked between her father and Shawn, her eyes lingering on the ghost in the corner as if asking his permission to let his presence be known. Shawn held her gaze carefully for a moment before nodding slowly.

"He's here." She said. Ray's eyes lit up with realization as he followed Nikki's gaze to the corner of the room where Shawn stood unseen to him.

"Where is he?" Ray asked, his voice slightly on edge.

"They can't see me." Shawn said with a small smirk as he stared between the four Ghostbusters that were looking in his direction.

"They can't see you at all?" Nikki asked thoughtfully and she glanced back at them as well. Egon was moving closer to the spot with his meter, looking around carefully. Shawn was eyeing him with amusement and as he glanced up at Nikki, he winked and disappeared.

"Definitely feeling a slight temperature drop…" Egon said as he waved his hand through the place where Shawn had just stood. Nikki smirked as she tried to scan the room for any sign of where Shawn had vanished to, noticing that Egon's meter still beeped as it signaled the ghost's presence.

"Right here." Shawn said in her ear, causing Nikki to gasp in surprise and take a step back, bumping into the pool table behind her.

"What's going on?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow at Nikki's flushed face and nervous smile.

"He's…over here now." She said quickly, glancing up at Shawn's amused smirk. Egon whirled around from where he'd been scanning the corner and glanced back at Nikki.

"What's he doing here?" Winston asked, intrigued. Nikki looked at Shawn who smiled sheepishly down at her.

"I could tell they were grilling you pretty harshly. I thought I'd try and help you out." He shrugged. Nikki smiled and looked around at the Ghostbusters' confused expressions.

"Well you _did_ manage to get the attention off of me for the moment I think." She mumbled.

"No he didn't. The fact that we can't see him directly just makes the attention land on you so that we can only read what happens through your responses." Peter said ironically. Nikki glanced back at him and he smirked jokingly.

"Why can't they see you? They were able to see other ghosts, what makes you so different?" Nikki asked Shawn wonderingly. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then shook his head.

"I don't know…I mean it's not like I go around on a daily basis _wanting_ to be seen." He joked lightly.

"Is there something he can do to let us know he's there?" Ray asked hesitantly, looking at Nikki and the space she was talking to. Nikki glanced back at him briefly and then looked back at Shawn who shrugged and turned to the pool table.

"Watch out, Nikki." Shawn said softly and she stepped back with the group of Ghostbusters who were watching with interest. Shawn seemed to hesitate for a moment as if centering himself and then he slowly raised his hands.

* * *

Ray watched in confusion as Nikki slowly stepped back and stood in front of him, staring at the pool table in front of them. For a long moment nothing happened and then, just when Ray was about to say something, the table moved.

It moved with a sudden lurch, the table skidding a few inches across the floor with a startling screech. Then it went silent and Ray raised an eyebrow in surprise at Egon who was studying the table over his meter, intrigued.

"…Was that it?" Peter asked, standing with his arms crossed across his chest in thought. Ray glanced down at Nikki, who continued to stare at the table for a moment and then a slight smile spread across her face. He glanced up in surprise as the table moved once more, this time straight into the air.

"Woah!" Winston exclaimed as the table rose upwards to the ceiling, wobbling unsteadily as it moved. The Ghostbusters stepped back a few feet in surprise.

"Tell him to put it down before it falls and breaks something!" Ray said quickly, glancing down at the expensive equipment just a few feet away in any direction around the room. Nikki glanced back at her father, amusement twinkling in her eyes as she turned back to the pool table which dipped down as if falling.

"Hey!" Winston said, dashing toward the table that the Ghostbusters' proton packs rested on as the pool table fell towards it. Just a foot or so above Winston's head, the table stopped and retreated back to the ceiling. Nikki laughed at something Ray or the others couldn't hear and Ray took a step forward toward his daughter.

"Okay…I think it's time to stop messing around…" Ray reached out and took Nikki's hand and gasped as an invisible force hit him. Her hand tightened around his as if trying to hold on to him and Ray's vision blurred slightly for a few seconds before refocusing. He blinked several times and frowned at what he could see in front of him.

A tall boy in his early twenties stood in front of them, his hands spread out above his head towards the hovering pool table near the ceiling. Ray's surprise was reflected in the boy's face and as Ray stared hard at him, the kid lowered his hands and the pool table came down gently in its designated spot on the floor. Nikki glanced hurriedly back at Ray and then at the boy, Shawn. Ray took a step toward him, taking note that the boy did indeed look like a normal kid and nothing like the ghosts they had fought over the years. The dark haired boy stared from Ray's thoughtful expression to Nikki who still held her father's hand tightly. Ray tilted his head to the side in confusion as he looked back at Nikki's surprised face. As he stared at her, she quickly released his hand and a wave of dizziness washed over Ray.

* * *

Nikki stepped back from Ray, her heart hammering as she clutched her hand to her chest fearfully. He stumbled back away from her and Peter quickly reached out to steady him.

"What just happened?" Peter asked, looking at Nikki worriedly. Nikki was staring wide eyed at her father who was shaking his head, a dazed expression on his face.

"Dad?" She murmured as he looked at her, confusion etched on his face.

"What…was that?" Ray asked breathlessly. Nikki sighed in relief and looked at Shawn who still stood by the pool table watching them worriedly.

"You looked completely out of it for a minute there, Ray." Winston said, looking between Nikki and her father thoughtfully. Nikki glanced down at her hands worriedly and then looked up to see that Ray was staring at her.

"I saw what you could see, didn't I?" Ray asked her quietly. Nikki looked back to where Shawn had moved to her side. She glanced back at Ray as her father stared at the spot next to her. "That was him, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." She said softly.

"Spengler…I think your theory was right…" Ray said thoughtfully. Egon raised an eyebrow and Nikki smiled gently as she looked at her hands once more.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked stepping closer to the girl hesitantly. "You mean she can…"

Nikki reached out and took Peter's hand, causing him to abruptly stop speaking as he was nearly knocked off of his feet by the force of her power. He looked around hurriedly as his vision cleared he could see Shawn standing next to Nikki. The ghost took a step back as the Ghostbuster's eyes landed on him and Peter tilted his head to the side curiously.

"You afraid of something, kid?" Peter asked him lightly. Shawn smirked and Peter looked up at Nikki who was watching him carefully with an amused smile on her face. She released her grip on his hand and stumbled back as the breath left her. Peter had the same effect and fell into Winston who had been watching the exchange in awe.

"That's weird…" The man commented. Nikki smiled wearily at him and noticed that Ray and Egon were looking at the PKE meter in contemplating silence.

"What? What is it?" She asked worriedly.

"It _does_ appear to be true…" Egon said. "You can convert psychokinetic energy into your own kind of energy. You allowed them to witness what you can see by briefly letting them tap into your power."

Nikki smiled slightly as Egon handed the meter to Ray and extended his hand to Nikki's. She grasped his hand carefully and for the third time in five minutes, she braced herself for the dizzying experience. When she let go of his hand, Nikki felt her knees give out and Shawn quickly braced his arm against her before she could fall.

"Interesting." Egon said, staring at his hand as the dizzy feeling left him.

"They can only do this while I'm here," Shawn commented. Nikki nodded and shrugged.

"That's their theory, anyway. I can't usually do anything like this any other time." She murmured. Peter looked at her and scoffed.

"Yeah, that definitely didn't happen last time I tried to test it out." He said to the thin air beside her. Nikki laughed quietly and then slowly extended her hand towards Winston. He quickly shook his head and stepped back.

"No, I'll take their word for it. Besides…you're looking a little pale there, Nikki." Winston said, smiling gently. Ray and Egon glanced up from the meter and Nikki shrugged.

"I don't feel as bad as when I cross over a ghost." She said simply. Peter took her arm, careful to avoid her palm and led her over to the desk chair a few feet away.

"Doesn't matter. We don't need you pushing yourself, even if it is for research purposes." Peter said, eyeing Egon warningly. Nikki rolled her eyes.

"I feel like my favorite phrase is "I'm fine" these past few days. How many times do I have to say it?" She asked jokingly. Ray shook his head.

"I really don't think you understand the dangers of playing with psychokinetic energy, Nikki. We study this stuff, and more often than not…not much good can come from being around it for too long." Ray said. Nikki raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm not _playing_ with it, Dad. I don't really like being able to do what I do, but if some good can come out of it, then I don't really have a choice. Need I remind you, that I've been doing this since I was a kid. Nothing bad has happened so far." She said. Shawn smiled at her knowingly.

"Everybody has a choice." Shawn said softly. Nikki smiled halfheartedly at him and then shrugged.

"Well…I try to be helpful where I can." She murmured to him. Shawn's smile faltered slightly and a wave of sadness fell over his expression. Nikki blinked in confusion at the slight change in him.

"That's all well and good Little Stantz, but I'm with your Dad…you might want to be more careful with things like this. Just now you almost overwhelmed yourself over the span of a few minutes with your friend hanging around." Peter said.

"Yeah…" Nikki said with a weary smile. "But we learned a new thing today, so that's good right?"

Egon smirked at her lighthearted comment and nodded. Ray didn't seem amused with her joking tone and he turned away from her in an attempt to busy himself at the computer. Nikki seemed to shrink in the desk chair as she silently regarded her father's troubled mood. She glanced up as Shawn leaned towards her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm going to leave before I make things worse. I can tell I've upset them a little." Shawn said apologetically, nodding at the Ghostbusters where they stood around her. Nikki looked up at Shawn in disbelief and he smirked at her reaction as he touched her face reassuringly. "I'll be back, I promise."

Nikki blinked and he was gone.

"What's he saying?" Peter asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room. Nikki shrugged and swiveled around in her chair to face the Ghostbusters where they stood - Egon glancing at the meter still in his hand, Winston and Peter leaning against the pool table watchfully, and Ray with his back to the others at the computer. Peter raised an eyebrow at the girl who smiled indifferently.

"He's gone." Egon said for her when his meter went silent.


	25. Story Telling

**Sorry if this one seems short, but I got to writing and couldn't find a good enough stopping point further on. So I guess you'll have to settle with this until I can finish the next one! Enjoy! :)**

That night, Winston volunteered to stay with Ray and Nikki in the case that the dark figure came back for another visit. The three of them sat together back at Ray's apartment eating a late dinner of pizza while Winston and Ray told Nikki of past experiences on the job.

"Tell me another one." Nikki said, laughingly. Winston smiled as he thought for a moment.

"Okay…um…there was this one time when we were called out to a circus that had rolled into town for a week or so. We had already had a pretty rough week, and so we headed over to the fairgrounds pretty tired." Winston started. Ray smirked as he remembered the story his friend was bringing up.

"A circus? That's gotta up the creepy factor just thinking about it." Nikki said, intrigued. Winston nodded.

"Yeah, it kinda did. We didn't know what to expect, I mean – they've already got a little of everything – demonic clowns, contortionists that look like they have no control of their limbs, wild animals…" Winston said.

"You just let your imagination get away with you, was what happened." Ray scoffed. "It was a completely normal circus and we got the call in the late morning that day to come by and get rid of the apparition before the performers had to do their show that night. We got there and the place was deserted."

"You mean – the circus people were gone?" Nikki asked confusedly. Ray nodded and leaned towards Nikki, lowering his voice.

"That was the first impression we got of the place. The tents and campers and everything were there but…"

"The people were nowhere to be seen." Winston finished dramatically. Nikki silently glanced between the two Ghostbusters, entranced in the story.

"What happened?" She finally asked when she realized that the two men were taking advantage of the suspenseful mood in the room. Ray glanced at Winston and nodded.

"Well, we ended up walking through the fairgrounds for a good half hour or so, even splitting up to cover more ground. But when we all came together at the big show tent, Egon caught on to a trail of something. We entered the tent and all of the performers were there, scattered around the audience seats and on the stage." Winston said slowly. Nikki frowned.

"Were they just hiding from you, or what?"

"That's the first thought that we all had too." Ray muttered. "But it was more than that. It turned out that a ghost circus had been lying dormant on the fairgrounds and when the real circus set up camp, all kinds of weird stuff started happening."

"The animals would break out of their pens randomly, tents would fall in on themselves, and even some of the performers would disappear and wake up in different places on the fairgrounds minutes later." Winston explained.

"Weird." Nikki murmured thoughtfully.

"It really was. And for a good while, we thought we were going to have to ask the real circus to move because there was just no way we could wrangle a whole entire circus into the few traps that we had on us." Ray said.

"We had to split up, but we did manage it. Hey, why don't you tell her about that one ghost that gave you a really hard time?" Winston smirked. Ray slumped his shoulders and scoffed.

"This ghost gypsy woman was one of the last ones we had to take care of and yeah…like he said I was the one stuck dealing with her." Ray mumbled. Nikki smirked.

"What happened?"

"Well, for one thing, she was speaking in some kind of tongues or something. I had no idea what she was saying but she didn't seem like she was trying to fight me back which was odd to me. She put up a good chase though…I must have circled her tent a dozen times before stopping to rest for a second. When I did, I looked up and noticed that she was standing right in front of me…like she was waiting for me to catch my breath." Ray said softly.

Nikki stared at him for a moment, and then looked at Winston who seemed equally intrigued with the story.

"And then she spoke…or I heard a voice in my mind, at least." Ray continued slowly. He paused, lost in remembering.

"What did it say?" Nikki asked gently, prompting him to continue. Ray looked up at her and his brows furrowed in deep thought as he stared at her.

"She said 'Not many second chances are given. Do not throw this one away.' And, on the spur of the moment, I retorted with something like 'Don't worry, I won't.' and I fired at her. Next thing I know, she was gone." Ray explained slowly. Nikki studied him carefully as his gaze shifted to the empty pizza box on the counter in front of them.

"When did this happen?" Nikki piped up curiously. Ray looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.

"Uh…a few months ago. I remember because when we finally got back to the firehouse that night, Janine had a message from your mom wanting to see if you could stay for a few weeks. Meredith was making plans for her wedding and said you didn't want to stay by yourself while she was on her honeymoon." Ray said slowly. Nikki nodded thoughtfully and fell silent as the two Ghostbusters finished their pizza. After a moment, Nikki smiled halfheartedly.

"Well…this evening took a pretty dramatic turn. I thought we were sticking to funny stories." She said, trying to make light of the edgy story Ray had told. Winston cleared his throat and propped his elbows on the counter.

"Yeah…wow…I don't remember the story going like that, Ray. You told us that the gypsy ghost flirted with you and something about having to use your wits to trap her." Winston said. Ray shrugged and he looked back up at his fellow Ghostbuster apologetically.

"You guys all had cool stories from your own experiences at the circus…I had to dress mine up a bit." He said casually. Winston smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey – I really did try my hand at taming that ghost lion. _That_ was real." Winston insisted as he raised his soda can to his mouth. Ray rolled his eyes good naturedly and smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I'm - "

Both Ghostbusters let out a cry of surprise as Hal leapt up onto the empty barstool at the end of the counter. Nikki burst into laughter as the cat recoiled from the men's reaction and she grabbed him before he could jump back to the floor.

"Was the ghost lion that scary?" She asked with a smirk as she stood up with the cat and tossed her paper plate into the trash can.

"No…the lion I was able to deal with. Your cat is just the worst." Winston joked. Nikki laughed once more and was surprised when it turned into a yawn.

"I think I'm going to shower and maybe try to get some sleep. Guess we won't know for sure if something's going to show up unless I do." Nikki said. Ray nodded solemnly and stood up from the counter as well.

"I'll get a head start on the coffee." He said. He held Nikki's gaze for a moment. "If you need something, don't hesitate to call us."

"I'll leave my door open for a quick escape route." She said seriously. He nodded and she smiled reassuringly at him before turning and heading for her room.

* * *

When she had gone to her room and they heard the shower start, Winston looked up at Ray cautiously.

"So what do we need to be ready for?" He asked quietly. Ray leaned against the counter wearily and shook his head.

"I'm not sure. I personally haven't seen anything yet, but this thing has attacked her here twice now." Ray said dejectedly. He threw a serious glance at Winston. "You brought a pack, didn't you?"

"Egon forced me to." Winston scoffed. He thumbed over his shoulder to where the proton pack lay in the armchair along with his duffel bag. "I just hope we won't have to use it in here."

"Yeah, you're telling me." Ray muttered as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Winston grabbed a mug for himself and filled it, then lowered his voice as he looked seriously at Ray.

"You got another meaning from that gypsy's message tonight when you were telling the story, didn't you?" Winston asked. Ray's eyes widened as he regarded his friend.

"I…yeah, actually." He admitted. "I'm glad that it seems I'm getting my second chance with Nikki but…I'm afraid I'm throwing it away."

"Why?"

Ray glanced at Nikki's bedroom door which was open just a crack and he sighed as he set his cup of coffee on the countertop.

"I feel like she knows I wasn't there for a majority of her life and I'm afraid she resents me for it. At first I may have been trying too hard for a connection with her when she came back up here, so I tried to tone it down a bit. But…I think it's having a negative effect on our father/daughter relationship." Ray said quietly. Winston raised an eyebrow.

"So fix it."

Ray glanced up at him miserably and shook his head. He picked his mug back up and took a swig of the hot black coffee, wincing at the bitter taste.

"I can't. She goes back home in less than three days. That's not enough time for anything to change. It's best to just leave things the way they are." Ray said, his voice forcefully cold. Winston shook his head in disbelief.

"Ray…you've seen what Nikki can do. Why don't you open up to her the way she has to you?"

" _I can't_." Ray said firmly again. Winston was silent as he watched Ray take another sip of his coffee and walk away from the counter. Winston still stood at the counter, surprised at the sudden change that had taken over his fellow Ghostbuster. He bowed his head in silence as Ray switched on the television in the living room, settling down on the couch with his coffee.

"It's gonna be a long night." Winston muttered as he moved to join his friend in the living room.

* * *

Nikki lay half asleep in her bed, having spent a good half hour reading to calm her nerves until she felt comfortable enough to sleep. She stared drowsily at her half open bedroom door, noticing that the light from the living room and the distant hushed voices of her father and Winston did little to satisfy her ever-present fear. After a few more moments, she was able to find her eyes drifting closed and her grip on the pillow loosening as she finally fell asleep.


	26. Shawn's Backstory

**I almost posted this last night after I finished writing this segment, but I forced myself to wait to proofread it this morning. It took me a while to get into it, but I like how this part went, I think. Please let me know your thoughts on it and leave a review for me! :D**

A while later Nikki was startled awake by a crash of thunder. She glanced at her bedroom door hurriedly and realized that the fluorescent light from the hallway was gone. The room lit up blue with a pulse of silent lightning from outside and her gaze shot around the room searchingly as a shadow appeared in front of her window. She lay as still as possible, afraid any motion would let the figure know she was there.

Another flash of lightning brought the figure a few feet closer and Nikki brought her covers to her chin, crouching on her side as she slowly inched her foot out from under the blanket. She glanced once more at the half open door and darted for it, attempting to shove past the dark shape.

 _"_ _Dad!"_ She choked out as the figure grabbed her and threw her to the ground. A familiar green glow lit up the room as she hit the floor and she cried out as she tried to pull herself away from the dark figure. She scrambled for the door but just as she reached it, the door slammed shut, blocking her escape. She pressed her back against the wall and turned around as the dark figure knelt next to her. Another flash of blue lightning lit up the figure's face and she struggled even more when she recognized his dark hair and pale features.

* * *

"Nikki! Hey, wake up!" Shawn said. Nikki's head spun as the hazy green color of the room disappeared and was replaced by the fluorescent glow of light from the hallway outside her door. She blinked in confusion as she realized that she was still in her bed, Shawn on his knees beside her with his arms wrapped around her tightly.

"Shawn?" She stammered confusedly. Relief washed over his face as he slowly released her. A low growl sounded from the foot of her bed and Nikki looked down to see that Hal was glaring warningly at Shawn.

"That's another thing I miss…dreaming." Shawn said, smiling sadly down at her. She studied him carefully and realized that her face was streaked with tears. She quickly tried to wipe them away.

"That was more than a dream…" She said softly.

Shawn's smile fell and he leaned closer to her worriedly. Almost immediately Hal let out a violent hiss and lunged toward where Shawn sat on the edge of Nikki's bed.

"Hal, stop it!" Nikki said gently but forcefully. The cat's eyes shifted between the two people in front of him but he stayed crouched low on her bed, growling.

"That's this thing's name? He's been giving me the death stare for the past thirty minutes." Shawn said jokingly. Nikki glanced up at him in surprise.

"You've…been here that long? Why didn't you wake me?" She asked quietly. He smirked and shrugged.

"You were sleeping so peacefully…up until that nightmare, of course." He said lightheartedly. Nikki suddenly felt embarrassed, knowing how frantic she got from her nightmares. She glanced at her bedroom door which was still slightly ajar, surprised that her father hadn't come in to wake her.

"I'm sorry…I must have sounded like a crazy person." She muttered, pulling her knees up to her chest. Shawn laughed quietly.

"Surprisingly, no. I didn't let it get that bad this time." He said reassuringly. Nikki frowned.

"This time?" She repeated quietly. Shawn glanced at her hurriedly and immediately fumbled for a response.

"Well...what I mean is that…" His shoulders slumped dejectedly as he realized that, by her stern expression, she wouldn't accept the lie he was making up. "Well…I've been here before."

"You…have?" Nikki asked, her voice level as she studied him. He nodded and then smiled sadly.

"Something has drawn me to you, Nikki. Even before the coffee shop." He admitted. Nikki's eyes widened in surprise and her heart fluttered in her chest, raising a blush to her face.

"What do you mean?" She asked warily. Shawn's pale face was serious and almost pleading as he leaned toward her.

"What I'm saying is…that, even before you came here to New York, we were looking for someone with your talents. For years no one we encountered could do anything even remotely close to what you can." He said. He offered her a small smile. "And then one day I just got a feeling that things were about to change and…there you were."

Nikki could only stare at the boy in front of her silently, her mind trying to wrap around the thought that he had known about her and her abilities longer than she had even known him.

"….When you say 'we'…who exactly do you mean?" Nikki finally asked, feeling a cold chill run through her. She slowly pulled her blanket up closer to her as she leaned against the headboard of her bed to face him next to her. Shawn hesitated for moment and then seemed to decide to come clean.

"Remember when we were walking together at the cemetery…and I told you about the people my parents knew?" He started.

"The ones who would hold séances and things?" She nodded. Shawn smiled wearily and continued.

"Yeah. Well…I didn't tell you everything about that." He said slowly. Nikki looked at him in anticipation, and his eyes met hers warily.

"What…what more is there?" She asked softly. Shawn smiled at her sadly.

"When I got older, I realized that there was one group of people that my parents would meet with on a regular basis...and that was the group of people that would go with us to the different supposed psychics each time. After a while, I realized that my parents and the others were testing out the psychics that we visited. If they proved to be legitimately able to speak to the other side, they would join our small group and travel around in search of others. When they had maybe a dozen or so, the searches seemed to stop and for a while nothing happened. Then one night, I woke up when I heard my parents leave. I hurried to follow them, because…they never left me without telling me. I followed them all the way to the harbor where the other psychics and participants were meeting."

Nikki stared at Shawn carefully as he explained. His gaze had drifted to the far wall across from where they both sat on her bed and the hard look in his eyes as he spoke sent another cold chill through her as she watched him.

"Something happened there that night. It was like they were summoning something there next to the water…I guess because in a way, the ocean has a sort of unknown power and they were trying to tap into it. I thought it was crazy…but then…ghosts were everywhere. It was like they flew in from the ocean, and it freaked me out because there were hundreds of them – all flying around the circle that my parents and the others were standing in." Shawn said.

"Oh…" Nikki breathed, her fear peaking. His gaze swung to her and his eyes were wide with remembrance.

"I ran when I saw what was going on, but I must have made some sound because the next thing I knew, there were shouts coming from some of the psychics…and the ghosts were suddenly everywhere around me. Voices…cold…and an inhuman green glow…" Shawn muttered as he tore his gaze off of Nikki's face.

"…Green?" She repeated, as she felt her face drain of color. Shawn nodded slowly and his gaze returned to the wall across from them.

"It's like we were all absorbed in it. I've…I've been like this ever since then." He murmured. Nikki's eyes widened.

"You…you _died_ that night?" She asked in disbelief. He smiled at her sadly.

"We all did. And I've been stuck helping them with their quest to find more psychics to build up their power again for all these years…" He said.

Nikki found herself frozen to the spot on her bed as she processed what Shawn was saying. Her heart was pounding fearfully in her chest and as his wary gaze fell on her once more a shiver passed through her.

"You're…you're shaking, Nikki." He said gently as he reached to wrap an arm around her. She hesitantly let him, her mind still flashing warnings at her as she tried to understand.

"So…the reason you've been so close to me…is because you want me to be one of your psychic vessels to give your friends the power they want?" She asked, trying to force her voice to stay level. Shawn smiled down at her and laughed quietly.

" _No!_ With you, they won't need any others. You can be the one to help us…maybe even change the way things have gone ever since that night." Shawn said hopefully. Nikki tore her gaze away from him and wrapped her arms around herself as another fearful tremble overtook her.

"Shawn…I don't know what you're asking me to do…" She breathed. Shawn gently pulled her closer to him and tilted his head to look down at her.

"It's alright…I have confidence in you and your abilities. You have so much power, Nikki. I believe you can help them and…then I'll finally be free of their control." Shawn said. Nikki glanced up at him worriedly.

"W-would I have to give you an answer now?" She asked shakily. Shawn smiled gently at her.

"No…there's no rush. I've waited this long…what's another day more?" He said softly as he pulled her into a tender embrace.

Nikki leaned her head against his chest, still fearful about what he'd just told her. Was he really responsible for the green glow that had haunted her ever since she'd come up to New York? She still had no idea what he was asking of her, but she realized that after hearing of his tragic and terrifying death, part of her did want to help him find peace. As her fear ebbed, her exhaustion caught up with her. She found her eyelids growing heavy as she lay against his chest and after a few moments, they slowly closed.

"I love you, Nikki." Shawn murmured gently as she felt herself drifting back to sleep.


	27. Mixed Feelings

**Sorry I've been so slow to update this week, but being back at work has been pretty hectic. We had a huge snow day yesterday though, so I tried to take advantage of my day off. I hope this chapter doesn't sound too repetitive, but if it does, I apologize. I'm just trying to build it up for the climactic ending. :) So let me know what you think and if I need to change anything! Enjoy :)**

Nikki awoke the next morning, dazed and confused. She vaguely remembered falling asleep next to Shawn and as her gaze moved around the room, she realized that she was now alone. She slowly sat up and looked around curiously.

"Shawn?"

Her gaze fell to the corner of her room by the window where her cat still crouched, his eyes staring drowsily up at her. She frowned and then got a cold chill as what Shawn had told her the previous night came back to her.

Shawn knew about the green ghostly energy that had been following her since that day at the pool. He had encountered it himself years prior to meeting her, and it had unfortunately resulted in his and numerous others' deaths. He had asked Nikki for her help…even after she had offered the day before to help him like she had the other ghosts in the past. He had declined then, which meant that he needed something else from her.

Nikki looked down at her hands and bit her lip thoughtfully. After a moment, she threw her blankets off of her and crossed the room to her bedroom door. She walked into the living room to see that Winston and Ray were watching the morning news on television, empty coffee cups in front of them.

"Dad?" She said softly as she stood by the couch next to him. He glanced up in surprise and worry flashed across his face.

"Something wrong?" He asked. "Everything seemed quiet last night, I thought you'd sleep through half the morning."

"Dad…Shawn talked to me last night." She started.

"Last night? When?" Ray asked.

"He told me that he knew about the green stuff…" She said. Ray glanced at Winston in surprise.

"Nikki, what did he tell you?" Ray pressed her again. She took a shaky breath and sat down slowly on the couch next to him.

"He was killed by it." She murmured shakily. Ray stared at her carefully for a moment and she quickly continued. "His parents were part of what sounds like a cult or something. They were summoning something and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time spying on them…and they all died because of it."

"Where is he now?" Winston asked. Nikki swung her gaze to the man and shook her head sadly.

"…I don't know." She admitted. "But he's been trapped helping those other ghosts ever since he died. He…he asked me for help."

Ray's eyes widened in surprise and he met Winston's confused glance. Ray quickly stood up from the couch and grabbed the telephone. Nikki stood up as well, knowing that she was visibly shaking.

"Peter? Yeah…no, she's fine." Ray glanced at Nikki. "He…he _what?_ Okay, we're coming."

"What happened?" Winston asked as soon as Ray had hung up the phone. Ray turned to Nikki and gestured back to her bedroom.

"Hurry and change out of your pajamas, Egon says he's got another lead and we've gotta go." Ray said. Nikki stood in front of him looking confused for a moment before heading back for her room as he told her to.

Hal sat on her bed staring at her cautiously as she hurried to her suitcase. She grabbed a blue sweater and jeans and quickly ducked into her bathroom to wash up and change her clothes, a nervous feeling in her stomach as she thought about what the energy flare up Egon had found now meant to her. Shawn could've been related to the previous attacks all along, which meant that the Ghostbusters' theories about the ghost boy's connection was correct.

* * *

"Early this morning, the radar found traces of the psychokinetic energy at the cemetery again." Egon explained as soon as Nikki, Ray and Winston reached the second floor of the firehouse. He already had his beige Ghostbusters' uniform on, which came as a surprise to the others so early in the morning.

"The cemetery?" Winston repeated. Peter emerged from the bunkroom where he had apparently just showered. He tossed the towel he had used to dry his hair on the couch and moved over to join Egon at the computer desk.

"Yes. And the readings remained strong even after we got there. We both followed the trail into the center of the cemetery – "

"Right about to the same exact spot where I found you yesterday, Little Stantz." Peter added. Nikki kept her face blank as she regarded the two men in front of her as they continued.

"Then as we happened upon the spot where the reading was emanating from, it was gone again. But we looked around for a little while longer and found a smaller trace reading close by. We had to dig through about a foot of snow, of course…but we found this." Egon said as he turned to pick something up from his desk. Nikki's eyes trailed curiously to the object he was holding and as he turned back to face them, her breath caught in her throat.

"Look familiar?" Peter asked with a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice as he caught Nikki's reaction. Nikki took a step closer to look at the object in Egon's hands.

Tattered bits of cloth and rubber sat in the scientist's palm and Nikki frowned as she carefully took it from his grasp.

"My…my missing shoe? The one that disappeared from the pool?" She said in disbelief. Ray gaped at it in surprise as he looked back up at Peter and Egon.

"This was in the cemetery?" He asked. Egon nodded.

"So…we're getting closer? Is that what this means?" Winston asked hopefully. Egon shrugged and took the destroyed tennis shoe back from Nikki who was still staring at in confusion.

"It's still a mystery as to what exactly this green energy is capable of. It seems to contain a series of portals, but it's definitely not limited to that." Egon said thoughtfully. Nikki quickly interrupted.

"Shawn knows what it is." She said firmly. All four Ghostbusters looked to her in confusion.

"Yeah…Nikki, tell Egon what you told me this morning." Ray said, remembering. Nikki glanced at Egon's intrigued expression and began to explain it to him.

"He told me that he knew where the green energy came from. He was there when his parents and other psychics summoned something at the harbor several years ago and it turned out to be that energy that's been following me this whole time. It killed them all because it was so powerful. I'm sure he knows how to stop it!" She said quickly. Egon looked ponderingly at the floor, deep in thought. Peter shook his head.

"So…this Shawn guy _is_ responsible for this?" He stated flatly. Nikki shook her head quickly as Ray and Winston exchanged glances.

"No…no he's not. But he _has_ been helping the other people who died with him to find other psychics to build up that power again. They're using him." She insisted.

"Wait, _what?_ " Ray asked hurriedly. She looked at him pleadingly.

"He asked me for my help, Dad. If I _do_ help him, then he'll be free from their hold on him. Then he'll…"

"Nikki, this just…doesn't sound right to me." Winston said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"See, this is what I've been saying, Nikki. Don't you know how dangerous what you're saying sounds?" Ray said, his voice wavering. Nikki opened her mouth, forming a response when Peter quickly intervened.

"Little Stantz, before you go arguing with your Dad, take a look at what happened to your shoe over there." Peter said, pointing to where her ruined tennis shoe sat on the desk in tattered remains.

Nikki flicked her gaze over to it worriedly and then looked between each of the Ghostbusters' faces. Ray, Winston and Peter all had worry written in their expressions while Egon's was still deep in thought. He glanced up as her gaze fell on him wearily.

"They're right…this does sound strange…you said that this group of people summoned a huge amount of psychokinetic energy and it backfired on them?" Egon spoke up. Nikki nodded.

"So…what they summoned was the green glowing stuff?" Winston confirmed.

"Yes. But apparently it didn't disappear with their deaths…" Egon said thoughtfully. Nikki's eyes widened.

"…Shawn said it was like it consumed them." She said.

"Then that means that they're all trapped by it." Egon nodded.

"But not Shawn?" Peter asked, confused. Nikki looked at him and seemed to question that thought as well.

"No…this doesn't sound right." Ray said, frowning thoughtfully.

"We don't know all of the facts…" Egon tried to reason with him. Ray shook his head and ran a hand through his hair as he turned away.

"What if we never find out all the facts, Egon? Nikki goes home the day after tomorrow, and…"

"Not if we don't find a way to stop this…" Nikki begged softly. Ray looked at his daughter worriedly and shook his head.

"So why is this stuff coming up just now? Why haven't we seen it before?" Winston asked, quickly trying to direct the conversation back to determining the facts.

"I have a feeling that it has something to do with Nikki." Egon said simply as he turned to face the girl. "You said that Shawn wanted you to help him. These ghosts are trying to build up their power…when you fell into the pool radiating with the green energy, I think you may have triggered something. Like we'd thought originally…it may be after you in particular."

Nikki was unsurprised by his speculation as she recalled that it was exactly what Shawn had revealed to her the night before. She crossed her arms.

"That still doesn't change the fact that I kinda want to help him. For his sake, at least." She said. Ray shook his head once more.

"No…we don't know what could happen to you…" He said quickly as Peter joined in.

"What exactly does he want you to do? Cross them all over? You can't do that if crossing over just one ghost at a time leaves you half-dead."

Nikki looked at Peter, catching the worry behind his sarcastic comment. She lowered her gaze to the floor and shook her head.

"I…don't know." She admitted, hugging her arms to herself. "But he did say that if I agreed to help, they wouldn't need any other psychics."

Ray's expression hardened, fear in his eyes. He exchanged worried glances with Egon.

"Where is he now?" Egon asked gently. Nikki looked up at him cautiously.

"Shawn? I don't know. When I woke up this morning, he was gone. I haven't seen him." She said quietly.

"So…he's planning on using you for your psychokinetic energy transference abilities?" Peter said slowly. Nikki took a deep breath to center herself and a pang of fear hit her as she realized that it was true.

"I'm sorry, Nikki…but we can't let you decide on something like this for yourself. If they really need help, then they can talk to us." Ray said. Nikki shook her head.

"They _can't_ talk to you, and why should they? All you know how to do is capture them!" She asked defensively.

"Nikki…" Peter tried to reason with her. Nikki's eyes drifted to the computer behind Egon. Flashing red warning pop-ups lit up the screen and she pointed.

"Is that important?" She asked quickly. Egon frowned and turned to look at the screen. His expression turned intense as he typed.

"It's another reading…" He muttered. The other three Ghostbusters instantly shifted into alertness.

"Where?" Winston asked.

"It's…the harbor." Egon said thoughtfully as he turned to look back at Nikki in surprise. "You were telling the truth."

"What?" Nikki asked, confused. Ray moved to look at the computer screen, his body rigid with fear.

"These traces are off the charts…this is way stronger than the others we've chased down before…" Ray muttered. He turned to the other Ghostbusters and nodded. "We need to go – _now._ "

As the men hurried into action, Nikki quickly followed after her father.

"Let me come with you. If Shawn is there…"

"Nikki, don't argue with me on this one. That may be exactly what they want…it could just be a trap to lure us into bringing you to them." Ray said as he grabbed his proton pack. Nikki trailed after him as he rushed down the stairs.

"He wouldn't do anything like that to me, Dad. He was going to let me think it through before I decided…apparently I made a mistake in telling you about it…" She said. Ray sighed in frustration as he reached the ground floor and headed for the car.

"What's going on?" Janine asked in confusion as she stood up from her desk, noticing the Ghostbusters moving quickly to load up the Ecto-1. Winston and Ray both hurried to their lockers and grabbed their jumpsuits.

"We found more traces that we need to look into." Egon said calmly to her as he passed by her desk on the way to the car.

"Didn't you two just go out chasing something like that just an hour or two ago?" Janine asked skeptically.

"This one is supposedly the 'big one.' Better safe than sorry." Winston shrugged.

"So if something evil really _is_ coming after me…you're just going to leave me here alone?!" Nikki said in disbelief.

"She's right, Ray. Maybe one of us should stay with her." Peter said, pausing as he stood by the open passenger door. He gestured back at her. "I think we can handle it with three on the job."

"She's not alone, Janine's here." Ray said quickly as he zipped up his uniform and shut the back of the car.

"…Ray, can I talk to you for a second?" Peter asked, his voice cold as he beckoned his friend over to the door of the firehouse. Ray glanced at his friend, noticing the stern tone in his voice but followed him. Peter pushed open the door to the snowy street corner outside and Ray shut the door behind him. As soon as he did, Peter turned and faced his colleague, fire in his eyes.

"…What?" Ray asked, taking a step back warily.

"Ray, you've got to stop doing this to your daughter. She's scared, she's at odds with herself, she just wants you to be here for her!" Peter rambled quickly.

"I _am_ here for her!" Ray shot back. Peter shook his head and pointed a finger in Ray's face.

"No – you're not! You're trying so hard to push her away from you, when all she wants is her father! Well, I'm _tired_ of trying to fill that role for you, Ray!"

Ray fell silent as Peter lowered his hand back down to his side. Ray nodded slowly to himself and then sighed.

"I made a promise to her mother. When she called those months ago, she confessed to me that Nikki had set her mind on coming to stay here with me while Meredith was on her honeymoon. I knew it was going to be a problem, and Meredith made sure to let me know that she wanted Nikki to come back. She didn't want her daughter to like it here in New York, so I've been trying to distance myself from her so it'll be easier when she leaves."

"She doesn't have to leave." Peter said gently as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder supportively.

"I know…but it'd be better for us both if she did." Ray said softly. Peter scoffed.

"You keep telling yourself that, Ray." Peter muttered. "If you won't stay back here with her, then I will. Just remember what I said."

Ray nodded apologetically and looked up at the grey sky above them, kicking at the icy snow on the sidewalk at their feet. Peter stared at him carefully for a moment longer and then opened the door to the silent crowd of people in the garage.

As he rounded the vehicle, Ray looked back at his daughter who stood by Janine's desk staring after them worriedly. She was hugging her arms to herself which caused her to look small and vulnerable as he thought of what might be after her. He took a step away from the Ecto-1, and placed his hands on her shoulders carefully. Her dark brown eyes stared up at him hopefully as he seemed to struggle with his words.

"Nikki… _if_ there's something after you…I want to be sure and stop it. I…I want to send you back home safely to your mother. Being here with me…it's always going to be like this." He offered her a small smile and squeezed her shoulders lightly before turning back to the car where the other Ghostbusters were waiting. He climbed into the front seat with Winston as Egon ducked into the back. Peter shoved open the garage doors and flashed Ray a look as the car started.

Nikki stared after the car as it slowly pulled out of the firehouse, her heart falling as the vehicle disappeared into the foggy white snow down the street. Peter quickly shut the doors and then crossed the room to where Nikki stood by Janine's desk. He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and turned her around to the stairs.

"Come on Little Stantz…we'll go play Monopoly or something until they get back." He muttered, angry at Ray's firm decision to send the poor girl away when she needed him the most.


	28. Mirrored

**I've had this part in my mind for a long time so it was pretty easy to get it typed out. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think about it!**

"…There's no way you won free parking three times in a row!" Nikki protested as she watched Venkman sort through the colorful Monopoly money he had just won. He smirked and handed her the dice with a shrug.

"When you've been playing this game for as long as I have, kid…you tend to have a special bond with the dice." He explained seriously. She smirked at him and he winked as she tossed the dice onto the board.

"Impossible!" She exclaimed as she slowly moved her dice over to the corner of the board. "I have to go to jail _again?!"_

"Told you I've got a bond with this game." Peter laughed lightly. Nikki shook her head as he grabbed the dice from the board for his roll. She glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned.

"Hey, it's after two…shouldn't they be back by now?" She asked worriedly. Peter raised an eyebrow and looked down at his watch to confirm what she'd said.

"Probably should be. But if we haven't heard anything, that may be good news." He tried to reassure her. She nodded, but her worry didn't go away.

They continued playing in silence for another few turns and then Nikki sighed as she pressed her fingertips to her temples.

"I don't know what's coming over me…I think I'm getting a headache or something. Could we put the game on hold for a few minutes?"

Peter raised an eyebrow as he looked up from the piles of Monopoly money he was counting out.

"You need some Tylenol or something?" He offered. She frowned and rubbed at the pain she could feel behind her eyes.

"Maybe. But…I'm going to try and splash some water on my face too…that usually helps it a little." She stood up from the table and headed to the bathroom, a little shaky on her feet. Peter stood up as well and went to the kitchen to look for the pill bottle they kept around for emergencies.

"Can't promise you I won't cheat while you're gone!" He teased lightly. She threw a wary smirk over her shoulder at him.

Nikki shut the bathroom door behind her and crossed to the sink to switch on the cool water. She placed the plug down into the drain and leaned over the porcelain sink to cup her hands underneath the faucet, her fingers shaking slightly. She brought the water to her face and massaged her temples soothingly for a few moments and was relieved when the pounding of her headache started to ebb away.

"Hello Nikki…"

The girl glanced up hurriedly at the voice, grasping the sides of the sink to steady herself. In the mirror, she could see that Shawn stood behind her over her left shoulder. She smiled halfheartedly at him in the mirror and slowly straightened herself.

"Shawn…you scared me. What are you doing here?" She asked softly. He shook his head slowly, his face serious.

"You shouldn't have gotten your Ghostbusters involved…" He said, his voice deep with warning. Her smile fell and she slowly turned around to face him. The corner of the bathroom behind her was empty where he had stood only milliseconds before.

"What…?" She said to herself as she whirled around back to the mirror. In the place where she had seen Shawn, a dark shadowy figure now stood behind her.

Nikki's heart leapt into her throat and she stumbled back against the sink, turning to peer over her shoulder again. The corner was still empty and Nikki reached out blindly for the doorknob to yank open the door to escape. Her hand grasped nothing and as she glanced down questioningly at where she thought the doorknob was, she could see that it had disappeared. Her hand fumbled desperately around the space that the doorknob had occupied and her heart started to beat rapidly in her chest.

 _"_ _Peter!"_ She screamed as she pounded on the door. She looked back at the mirror hesitantly and pressed her back against the door as the dark figure now took up a great portion of the reflective glass. She could vaguely make out facial features on the creature and the hungry expression it wore caused the adrenaline rushing through her to pump even harder.

"Nikki?!" Peter called from the other side of the door. Nikki half turned and pounded on the doorframe once more, calling out for his help.

Movement from the mirror caught her eye and she turned back to face it wearily. The figure was now backed by the strange glowing green energy she had grown to fear and she felt herself shrink against the door as a frigid wind blew into the room. The figure suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Nikki's forearms, pulling her roughly towards it. She fumbled for a grip on the floor, but her boots provided little traction on the smooth tiles.

 _"_ _Peter, help!"_ She screamed as the figure pulled her upwards over the sink and through the mirror, an electric cold chill going through her as she seemingly phased through the glass. The last thing she could see before blacking out was the green light pulsing around her as the adrenaline finally reached its peak in her system.

* * *

"Nikki, what's going on in there?!" Peter shouted as he beat his fist against the door, hearing her screams grow silent. He grabbed the doorknob and jiggled it but the door still wouldn't budge.

Peter stepped back as he could see a steady flow of water running from underneath the door. He looked up in confusion and then his face was struck with horror as he quickly threw his shoulder against the door. After repeatedly trying to barge through the door with his body he stumbled back, clutching at his sore shoulder.

"Come on…" He muttered. His gaze searched around the rec room desperately and he rushed for the kitchen table and grabbed one of the sturdy chairs there. He braced himself and ran for the bathroom door, slamming the chair against the door with all of his strength. The chair shattered as it collided with the door, and Peter gave a silent cheer of relief as the door also splintered inward with the blow.

"Little Stantz?" Peter called quietly as he pushed the door the rest of the way in. His heart fell as he entered the small bathroom, finding it empty. He looked around hurriedly and his gaze fell on the mirror straight across from him.

Instead of reflecting his own fearful face back at him, inside the mirror he could see a stone corridor in front of him like a tunnel. Smokey green energy wafted around the edge of the mirror and Peter rushed forward as he saw shadows moving around in the dimly lit tunnel. The light overhead in the bathroom flickered frantically and with a startling high pitched sound, the mirror was suddenly streaked with dozens of lightning bolt cracks.

 _"_ _No…"_ Peter breathed as he reached for the surface of broken glass on the wall in front of him, the green glow fading. Shards of glass fell and shattered on the tiled floor as he ran his hands down the mirror. He quickly switched off the faucet of the overflowing sink and sloshed through the soaked bathroom floor to the rec room.

"Dr. Venkman!" Janine's voice called from downstairs. Peter looked around at the voice in disbelief. He glanced back towards the bathroom and could see the reflected light through the shattered mirror shining back at him. He moved hesitantly towards the stairs, passing by the forgotten game of Monopoly still on the table where he and Nikki had been playing only moments ago.

"Y-Yeah?" He called back down. Janine looked up at him, the telephone pressed to her ear.

"The guys are on the phone. They want to talk to you." She said easily. Peter froze on the landing of the stairs, his blood running cold. He slowly shook his head.

"Tell 'em I'm busy beating Nikki in Monopoly." He said, keeping his voice as even as he could. Janine smirked and muttered something into the receiver. Peter waited expectantly and after a moment Janine looked up at him once more and motioned for him to come down.

"Egon says he doesn't buy that…" She said, her eyebrows furrowing at what Egon was telling her. Peter slowly descended the stairs, his mind scrambling for an explanation to what he knew Ray would ask. He stopped at Janine's desk and hesitantly took the phone from her outstretched hand.

"Egon…how's everything been down at the harbor?" Peter asked slowly, directing the conversation immediately as far away from the terrifying matter at hand as he dared.

"The signal we'd been following stayed around for quite a while…we scouted the area for a good few hours before finding any results." Egon explained. Peter could hear muffled voices in the background.

"And…?" Peter said.

"There was a sudden surge on the meters and as we stood on the docks, the water around us started glowing that familiar green. Then right before our eyes a dark humanoid figure took shape out of the water and spoke." Egon said.

"What did it say?" Peter asked worriedly.

"Something about 'you should have stayed at home…" It has us all on edge, that's why we thought we'd call to check up before we head back." Egon said. Peter's blood ran cold and his gaze grew distant as he tried to think of how to word the situation. He glanced down at Janine who was reading his expression searchingly.

"Egon…can Ray hear me right now?" Peter asked, trying to keep his voice calm. Egon hesitated.

"Um…not really, no." He said, following his lead. Peter took a shaky breath.

"We uh, we just had an unwanted visitor a few minutes ago." Peter said quickly.

"What?" Egon asked cautiously. Peter could hear another few muffled voices in the background and he knew that the other two Ghostbusters were listening closely to Egon's side of the conversation.

"Something's taken her, Egon. Nikki's gone." He blurted out.

"You mean…" Egon started but Peter was startled when the other voices on that side of the line distorted his question.

"Peter, please tell me you're joking." Ray said, his voice shaking. Peter sighed and pressed a hand to his eyes. When Peter didn't respond, he could hear Ray's realization as the girl's father let out a fearful sob.

"Ray…just hurry back here so we can find out where she is. You all took the main equipment with you to the harbor, so I can't do much until you get back." Peter said carefully.

"Peter…what happened?" Ray's shaky voice demanded. Peter shook his head sadly.

"I…I don't know Ray. But standing here talking about it isn't going to help us figure it out any faster." Peter said gently. Ray choked out another sob and his voice grew steadily distant.

"Venkman." Egon said as he seemingly took the phone back from Ray.

"Watch him, Egon. Don't let him drive like that." Peter said worriedly.

"I'll watch him. We'll be there as soon as we can." Egon assured him.

Peter nodded as the phone clicked in his ear and he slowly lowered the receiver down to the cradle. He raised his gaze to Janine's worried expression and the secretary hurriedly stood up and hugged Peter, fearful tears in her eyes. Peter hugged her back, his fear equally matching hers as he thought about what could be happening to Ray's daughter.


	29. Trapped

**Sorry guys, it's been another hectic week. I am getting closer to the end, I'm sad to say, so if you're thinking you're ready for this to be over with, then I'm sorry you've had to put up with me for this long. XD I wanted to go ahead and post what I've got and I'll hopefully get a chance to get a lot more writing done this weekend. I think I've finally put myself into a position where I can do just that and I'd really appreciate your thoughts on what's going on in the story so far! Enjoy!**

Nikki slowly stirred awake and found herself shivering as her body reacted to the intense cold around her. She was lying on what felt like a stone floor in the suffocating darkness. The ground was ice cold and she slowly sat up as she could feel that her arms were bare against the stone. She rubbed at her forearms in an attempt to warm them.

The darkness around her was dizzying and she shivered uncontrollably as she reached full consciousness. Her teeth chattered and she shifted to her knees on the stone floor, realizing that she had to start moving. As she started to climb shakily to her bare feet, she fell back in surprise as the small space she was in suddenly lit up with a thunderous rush of air. Supernatural blue-flamed torches glowed steadily in each corner of the stone room, causing the small space to dance with shadows around her.

Nikki could only look around in anticipated fear as she crouched in the center of the room. With a horrifying realization, she found that on both sides of her set into the walls were two crypts. Heart hammering in her chest, she turned her gaze to where she thought the door to the small mausoleum would be. She slowly backed herself up against the stone wall, wincing as it chilled her like a slab of ice at her back. Her eyes scanned the shadows and she froze as a figure emerged as if fading into sight from the darkness.

"Nikki." Shawn said, his voice quiet and even. Nikki looked up at him steadily not taking her gaze off of him as he slowly stepped away from the far wall. There was a different look about him, though physically he hadn't changed. He stood a little taller and carried himself as if he were more confident than he had been any other time she'd seen him.

"Shawn…" She whispered. Her gaze wavered as he grew closer and she pressed herself against the wall behind her. He stopped a few feet in front of her and smiled teasingly.

"Do you know where you are?" He asked her calmly. She glanced back towards the wall and could see plaques on the crypts. She quickly recognized the last names and nodded slowly as she turned back to Shawn.

"You brought me to your parents' tomb. You…you showed me this place the day after we met…why am I here?" She asked shakily. Shawn smirked and paced in front of her casually.

"After what I told you last night…you can conclude that my parents didn't die alone. This isn't just their tomb that I brought you to." He said lightly.

Nikki stared at him in hurried thought before holding her breath and hesitantly turning around. As she'd feared, she had backed into a third crypt in addition to the two larger ones along the adjoining walls. She let out a startled gasp and scrambled along the floor away from it.

"What's the matter, Nikki? Are you just now realizing that I'm really _dead?_ " He asked drily. Nikki whirled around to face him, still crouched fearfully on the stone ground. His face now had a melancholy stoic expression as he studied her coldly.

"Shawn… _why am I here?"_ She repeated warily. Shawn stared at her silently for a long moment before turning away from her.

"We're waiting." He said softly as he turned back to the wall, opposite from his own crypt. Nikki shivered as she slowly climbed to her bare feet and glanced down at herself for the first time since waking up.

Before she had been taken, she had been in her sweater, jeans and boots which she had picked out that morning. But since then her own clothes had vanished, leaving her in a long white dress that reached just below her knees with thin shoulder straps that draped away from her collarbone. She looked up at Shawn in confusion and tucked her arms tightly around herself.

"Waiting for what?" She asked hesitantly, still visibly shaking. Shawn glanced over his shoulder and motioned for her to follow him to the other side of the small mausoleum. She hesitantly inched her feet closer to him, wincing at the icy stone floor beneath her toes.

"Come here, Nikki…I think you'd like to see this." He said gently. Nikki stopped by his side when she saw the disarming look he gave her. His dark eyes were studying her carefully and the light from the blue torches cast his face in half shadow. He slowly tore his gaze away from her and stared at the stone wall that had once been a door. The tomb had been sealed after the family's burial and from the looks of the place, it had been several years since it had been opened, decades even.

Nikki studied Shawn carefully as he reached his hand out to the solid stone and she frowned at the concentration etched on his pale face. She turned her gaze back to the wall and stepped back in surprise as the dark stone slowly melted away and revealed the snow enshrouded cemetery outside. Nikki looked around, noticing first off that it was nighttime. The streetlights outside of the cemetery were dim and cast a hazy yellow-green color on the snow that glittered inside the gates.

"It's…beautiful." She said slowly, looking at him quizzically. His eyes were on her and he smiled slightly.

"That's not all I wanted to show you." He said. Nikki shivered once more and peered back at the silent rows of graves outside as he directed his gaze back to the snowy landscape.

The graveyard was silent and still, the untouched snow blanketing the ground in a stifling layer of white. Nikki's gaze traveled cautiously across the line of tombstones peeking out over the snow and she was startled to see figures emerging slowly from behind them. A glowing green mist followed with the figures, lining them eerily and Nikki fearfully took a step back at their staggering approach of the mausoleum.

"What's wrong, Nikki?" Shawn asked in an almost joking manner. Nikki threw him a horrified glance and moved away from him. She shook her head.

" _This_ is what we're waiting for?" She asked, glancing back at the figures moving steadily through the rows of graves. Another fear induced chill ran down her spine, adding to her uncontrollable tremors from the cold air. Her throat tightened as Shawn looked down at her with a guarded expression. He said nothing as she stared back at the approaching ghosts, anticipating what would happen if they reached her.

Nikki chanced another glance at Shawn who had his gaze on her sadly. She shook her head in disbelief, and darted towards the doorway. She ran into the stone wall of the crypt and her hands pressed against the stone searchingly. She could still see the surrounding cemetery outside, but she was still trapped inside the tomb.

"What – I don't…" She stammered, icy chills spreading through her limbs. She could still see the fast approaching figures and they were looking at her hungrily as they reached the snow covered pathway in front of Shawn's family crypt. The figures left no footprints in the snow and Nikki's blood ran cold as the green glow snaked its way up the few stairs of the structure. She paused as she felt a soft hum of energy directed towards her and she slowly turned her head over her shoulder to look at the ghost boy behind her.

Shawn stretched his arm towards her and Nikki felt a strong force shove her away from the wall and back across the room. She fell in slow motion, still facing the seemingly transparent wall where the dark figures had congregated. The green glow suddenly phased through the wall and swept after her like a living thing. As Nikki fell towards the stone ground, the green energy swirled into a mass on the floor beneath her. Nikki choked out a scream as she fell through the green misty energy instead of hitting solid ground. Her body was wracked with another intense wave of chills as every cell in her body was suddenly charged with the psychokinetic glow.

She fell for another few heart-stopping moments before making contact with solid ground. Her screams were cut off abruptly as her back slammed onto what felt like solid stone and the back of her head struck milliseconds after. Her vision blurred, and a metallic taste appeared in her mouth as her head lolled to the side weakly.

* * *

"Tell me exactly how it happened!" Ray demanded as soon as the other three Ghostbusters returned to the firehouse. Janine had led them upstairs to find Peter who was still staring searchingly at the shattered bathroom mirror.

"Venkman?" Egon added quickly as he approached his colleague. Peter slowly turned and gestured for them to look at the place where Nikki had assumingly disappeared.

"You were right…that green energy…it made some kind of portal right here…" Peter said, stepping towards the broken mirror. "I busted down the door and caught a glimpse of another place through this mirror before it cracked."

"What place?" Ray asked hurriedly, watching as Egon stepped into the room and began scanning the mirror with a PKE meter. The traces of the portal were long gone.

"Some stone building. It looked like some ancient temple or something." Peter said, shaking his head.

"Stone building? You've gotta elaborate a bit on that…" Winston said. Peter shrugged and threw a guarded look at the other three Ghostbusters.

"I don't know!" He said defensively. He gestured at Egon who was looking at the PKE meter in deep thought. "Can't that thing tell us where that portal went?!"

Egon looked up in surprise at Peter's distressed outburst. The tall scientist straightened and sighed dejectedly.

"This is more complex than we thought. If something was able to kidnap her when you were just a mere few feet away, then they're already way ahead of us." Egon said slowly. Ray shook his head in disbelief.

"You're saying there's no way to find her?!"

"Ray, I'm saying that we need to calm down and try to think through the possibilities. Otherwise we'll just keep following false leads like we've been doing all along until…" Egon trailed off with a shrug.

"Until it's too late." Ray finished for him. He looked at the floor worriedly clenching his hands into fists nervously by his sides.

"At least we have one lead to go on…" Winston said lightheartedly. "A stone building…like an old church maybe?"

"Nah…more like an old tunnel-like thing." Peter corrected him. "It looked abandoned…"

"What about Shawn?" Egon suggested quietly. The others looked at him thoughtfully and he fiddled with the meter quickly. "She mentioned earlier that he had tried to get her to help him with something…"

"You don't think…" Winston said slowly, glancing at the shattered mirror in front of them. Egon nodded and switched the meter back on with its new settings. Immediately the small device started chirping with a signal.

"Yes, I do." Egon said. Ray moved quickly to his side to look hopefully at the meter as Egon continued speaking. "I took the readings I collected from his presence here yesterday and programmed them just now into the meter. As you can see…there's definitely a match. Shawn was here."


	30. Overwhelmed

**Hello everyone! I'm really sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I honestly didn't think I was going to make it through this week! But thankfully, I have and I promise to update sooner than I promised to last time. :) Also, being Groundhog Day, I of course had to get my Bill Murray fix. But now that the movie's over, I'm going to dive back into writing this story out. Enjoy! :)**

Nikki trailed in and out of focus for what felt like hours. Dizzying figures moved around in the corners of her vision, but Nikki had already realized that they were merely watching her as she struggled to stay conscious. The only sound she could hear was the painful hammering of her heart and the distant sound of dripping water somewhere far off in the underground she found herself in. The only light came from the green energy portal straight over where she lay, casting a supernatural glow over her.

"Shawn…she's absolutely radiant…" A woman's voice to her right said breathlessly. Nikki's head ached and she cringed as she tried to turn her head in the direction of the voice.

"I know," Shawn's gentle voice from her other side. Seeing nothing where the woman's voice had come from, Nikki turned to her left and could see that Shawn stood by her side, looking down at her warily.

"Where…am I?" Nikki murmured, trying to move. She had barely gotten her shoulders off of the stone slab she lay on when a shooting pain ran down her spine. Shawn laid a hand on her shoulder and eased her back down gently.

"You stupid boy. We didn't want her too severely injured…we haven't even started yet." A man's voice said deeply. Nikki weakly fixed her gaze on a large shadowy figure that had stepped up behind Shawn. As the green light from the portal above them fell over the man in shadow, Nikki could see a stern, pale faced man with dark hair combed back away from his face. Nikki blinked quickly to try and clear her dulled vision, realizing that this man had to be Shawn's father.

"She would've run away, you saw her." Shawn said to the man over his shoulder. The man smirked and looked down at Nikki in slight amusement.

"If she's smart, she'll realize that the best thing for her to do is listen and follow orders. Just like we had to train you to do." The man said, nudging Shawn lightly. Nikki looked between the two of them in fearful disbelief.

"What are you going to do to me?" She asked warily. The man turned his gaze back to Nikki and smiled, the expression not meeting his cold eyes. He glanced back at Shawn and raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't tell her anything?" He asked. Shawn held his gaze on Nikki carefully seeming to be taking in Nikki's worried and pained expression.

"She knows. I was hoping she would make the decision to help us herself but I can see I was wrong." Shawn said after a moment. His father looked back down at Nikki.

"Shawn tells us how powerful you are. We merely want to put that power of yours to good use." The man explained carefully. He offered his hand to Nikki casually and she stared at it hesitantly, taking note of the slight green glow that laced his fingertips.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Shawn said warningly to his father. The man looked at Shawn and then regarded Nikki curiously.

"Ah yes…well, I'll just introduce myself then. As I can tell you've already guessed, I was Shawn's father – Vincent Barlow. I'm very much interested in you, Nicole. Would you care to demonstrate a little of what you can do for me?" He asked, looking at her hands where they braced against the stone beneath her. She had slowly managed to sit upright, cringing at the grating pain in her back. She stared at the man by Shawn's side fearfully as she could feel her hands burning with energy despite the rest of her body shivering with cold. She clenched her right hand into a fist in anticipation of what she was about to do.

Nikki suddenly pushed herself off of the stone slab and landed upright on her bare feet. She immediately began running in the opposite direction of the two ghosts that were still standing curiously by the stone table. Nikki cried out in pain as two strong sets of hands grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her back.

"No – get off of me!" She screamed as she struggled against the strong arms. She was roughly shoved back onto the raised stone platform and she gasped as her back collided with the hard surface once more. She struggled against the two faceless ghosts attempting to hold her down and she finally got her right arm free. She swiped at the other ghost's hold on her left arm and brought her hand down on his wrist.

Nikki forced herself to her knees on the stone table, facing the shadow that was still latched onto her. She could feel her hand burning as she gripped the ghost's wrist even tighter, and she lowered her gaze to her hand when a bright white light spread from her fingertips and up the ghost's arm. As the light spread further, the figure's face was finally revealed.

The ghost who was slowly releasing his grip on her arm looked to be a middle aged man with a short beard and glasses. He wore a dark colored sweater vest and as he looked at Nikki's pained face, his anger seemed to disperse. His eyes were bright with fear and Nikki gripped the top of his hand even tighter, feeling the burn of crossing over a ghost. This time, the feeling was different – charged with the overwhelming psychokinetic presence of numerous ghosts seemed to be affecting her. The man tried to pull his hand away from her as the light started to overwhelm him, but she forced herself to hang on. When her hand fell through empty air, she knew he was gone.

"Well _done_ …" Vincent said, clearly impressed. Nikki raised her face to see his gleaming eyes boring into her.

"I must admit, I almost didn't believe it when he told us how she did it…" The woman's voice spoke up. Nikki turned and could see a woman with short blonde curls and a young intrigued face was standing at her right where the other ghost had held her.

"So much potential…" A man's voice spoke from the shadowy darkness around her. Shawn's father looked towards the voice and nodded with a smirk.

"And she's young. She hasn't tapped into all of her abilities yet." Another disembodied female voice sounded from behind her.

Nikki clutched her hands to herself as she could feel the shadows around her inch closer. She shook with fear as her head whipped around every which way as the figures emerged from the corners of the dark underground space and into the green glow from the portal above them. There were over a dozen ghosts surrounding her, and Nikki quickly realized that they were eyeing her longingly. She swung her gaze pleadingly to where Shawn had stepped back away from her side. His father smiled at Nikki as he caught her looking at Shawn and motioned to the woman on the other side of the table.

"Helen, we'd better keep those hands somewhere where no one else can get hurt…" Vincent said lowly. Nikki looked at the blonde woman next to her and was surprised when the woman disappeared. Strong hands yanked Nikki down onto her back and she choked out a surprised cry as she looked up into the calm face of Helen Barlow. The woman held Nikki's shoulders down and then looked expectantly up at her husband.

Nikki froze as a frigid cold sensation trailed up from the stone platform she lay on, settling around her wrists and ankles. After a moment, the feeling began to solidify and as the woman above her gently released her grip on the girl's shoulders, Nikki chanced a look at her left wrist. Icy cold stone cuffs kept her hands by her sides and her feet still. Nikki's heart hammered fearfully as she found she couldn't even turn her wrists in their bonds.

"Now I want you to relax…there's no need for us to kill you yet…not until we tap into the bounds of your abilities, at least." Shawn's father leaned down to peer into Nikki's face and she flinched as he traced her face with his glowing green fingers. She attempted to twist her wrists in their confinement as he brought his freezing hands to the sides of her face.

"You're going to kill her?" Shawn's voice repeated carefully a few feet away. Nikki could see his father's face right over her own and he squeezed his eyes shut impatiently at his son's tone.

"You didn't expect us to let her go free knowing what we're working to do?" He retorted with a knowing smirk. He looked back down at Nikki and his dark eyes studied her in amusement. "If she survives this, I'll be very surprised."

Nikki's eyes filled with fearful tears as the man rested his hands against her temples. He closed his eyes and Nikki was left in shivering silence as the others ghosts stepped back from the stone alter in anticipation. Her body stiffened as she could feel a cold presence slowly entering her mind. Her shivering ceased and she could only stare wide eyed at the man above her as the breath suddenly caught in her throat.

The green glow of the room around her suddenly vanished in a flash of light and she found herself in a classroom where dozens of students sat in front of her, gazing distractedly at a teacher who seemed deep into a lecture. Seconds later the vision changed and Nikki could see a wide field of waist high grass, with woods in the distance as the breeze around her blew calmingly. Once more, she was pulled away from that scene and she found that she was on a train that was traveling through snowcapped mountains, a fancy dinner set on a table in front of her with half a glass of wine in her hand.

Nikki's heart sped up with the scene changes, each one lasting no longer than a few seconds. Her head grew dizzy as she jumped from moment to moment, seeing beaches, forests, and buildings that she herself had never encountered before in her lifetime. She could hear voices coming from each vision she traveled through, sometimes muted conversations, sometimes questions that seemed to be directed at her. Flashes of green light began to shine across her visions and she could feel the freezing cold air closing in around her. She finally shut her eyes to the madness surrounding her and could hear distant screams growing closer as the rushing visions and voices seemed to slow.

"What are you doing to her?" Shawn's voice faded into existence and Nikki could hear that the distant screams she was hearing were her own, echoing throughout the tunnel around her. Vincent pulled his hands away from Nikki's temples and she gasped for breath, her lungs protesting as she choked in the frigid air. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest as she lay frozen in shock, her head still reeling from the strange visions she had just witnessed.

"My _God_ …" Vincent said, captivated as Nikki caught his glance wearily. "She's proving to be more useful than we thought."

"How so?" Helen murmured as she came into view over her husband's shoulder. Vincent continued to stare down at Nikki in hungered awe. His mouth tilted into a slight smirk and his eyes darkened.

"She's shown me others like her."

Nikki's tear-filled eyes widened in disbelief as she put together that the visions she had seen belonged to other people who could possibly do and see things like she could. Her chest twisted and she relaxed her hands that had unconsciously clenched into fists in the restraints by her sides.

"W-What?" She stammered as she lay shivering in the long, thin white dress she wore. Vincent's smile grew wider.

"You were unknowingly connected to them because of your similar abilities. You've just shown me the locations of dozens of other living people that stray between the planes as you do." Vincent explained, his voice low. He took his gaze off of her face to look around at the surrounding eager ghosts. "And when we're finished here, we'll go after them."

The room was filled with cheers and laughter, and Nikki's blood ran cold as the ghosts' voices echoed distortedly around the stone walls.

"What exactly are you going to do?" She blurted out, her voice shaking. Vincent once more leaned over Nikki, his palms pressed into the stone above her shoulders. She flinched under his gaze but managed to hold eye contact carefully.

"We need to strengthen our power source…As Shawn has already told you, we failed our first summoning because we were too weak. But we did manage to call upon our leader and he sent us this lovely gift to conjure and control at will." Vincent glanced up at the glowing energy portal above him and Nikki followed his gaze hesitantly.

"And…what do you need my specific abilities for? I mean…all I can do is cross over ghosts…and you all obviously don't want that from me…" She said, looking around nervously. A few muffled laughs sounded from around her and Vincent's face spread into a smile.

"You know nothing about how great your power is because you were too afraid to tap into them. Here…let me demonstrate."

In one quick motion, his hands were at her temples again and a shooting pain exploded into her mind. She clenched her hands into tight fists by her side and her nails dug into her palms painfully. She tried to bite back her screams, but when the frigid cold presence of Vincent's direction entered her mind once more, her mouth opened in a terrified cry.

She could feel herself straining against the unbreakable bonds that held her wrists and ankles down as she felt the overwhelming cold of the glowing green energy that was overtaking her. Her hands burned intensely with a white hot pain that left the rest of her body feeling numb with unnatural cold. She kept her fists tightly clenched as visions started to flash across her mind, her eyes shut firmly as she screamed. The same scenes she had witnessed before were replayed before her and this time she had one thought in her mind as she traveled to each place.

 _Don't let them find you._

She could hear Vincent's laugh sounding in her mind as he knew of her attempts to warn the other unfortunate people like her in the world from his intentions.

"It's too late, girl. You've already doomed them all!" Vincent's voice echoed around her as the visions blurred together.

"No I haven't!" She screamed back, her voice reverberating in her mind as her pain-induced screams coming from her physical body intensified with Vincent's attempt to keep control. "I know who's going to stop you!"

"The Ghostbusters? They have no idea where we are, you ignorant mortal! Don't you think we planned for this? We've been sending them on wild goose chases all week to prove how easily misdirected they can be!" He laughed. Nikki cried out in desperation and suddenly remembered something Peter had jokingly mentioned one morning when they were testing out her abilities.

 _"_ _Now try to read my mind."_

Nikki felt a tugging sensation in her chest and slowly a picture started to form of the Ghostbusters' upstairs rec room in the firehouse. The four Ghostbusters were bustling about the room, talking to each other in hurried tones and moving back and forth between the computers and equipment. Nikki focused her attention on all four of them, gritting her teeth against the pain as she tried to hold on to the vision. Vincent's hold on her grew stronger and she could feel shooting pain rushing into her mind from where his hands rested at her temples. A deep burning sensation started to form in her chest and she struggled to dive back into the vision of the Ghostbusters' room.

* * *

"There are readings all over the city – how can we know where Nikki really is?" Winston asked, looking up from one of the monitors worriedly. Egon shook his head, typing furiously as he tried to differentiate the readings to narrow the choices down.

"What if we split up? You know… to cover more ground?" Ray suggested softly from where he was pacing restlessly in front of the couch.

"Ray…you know that's a bad idea." Peter said. "Even if one of us finds out where she is, there's no way we can tackle whatever is holding her alone."

"If we traveled in pairs?" Winston asked.

"It'll take all of us together." Egon shook his head. "If these ghosts were smart enough to know when we would be gone, then they'll be expecting us to be unhinged."

"Well it's working! We're unhinged alright – unhinged enough to stay around here doing _nothing!"_ Ray exclaimed, running his hand through his messy brown hair in distress.

"Ray…" Peter said warningly. He was cut off as each of the Ghostbusters fell to their knees, as a sharp ringing erupted in their ears.

 _"_ _What is that?!"_ Ray cried out, his hands pressed to his ears as he crouched on the ground.

"You guys are hearing this too, right?!" Winston called, as he struggled under the strain that was put on the four Ghostbusters. Egon, in the same position from where he had fallen by his desk, winced as the ringing grew higher.

"Something's here!" Egon shouted over the painful ringing. Peter struggled to get up from his knees, but failed as the excruciating pain of the sound kept all four of the Ghostbusters down.

 _"_ _Make it stop!"_ Peter cried. He glanced up at the wall where movement caught his eye. He winced in pain and nearly doubled over as he removed one hand from his ear in an attempt to crawl closer to the wall beside him.

A large map of the city hung on the wall marked with hundreds of tiny pushpins where the Ghostbusters had caught or sighted spirits over the several years they had been in business. Before Peter's eyes the pins were suddenly removed from their spots and seemed to be congregating on one place in particular.

"Hey…" Peter stammered out as the ringing was suddenly cut off. The four downed men slowly came to their senses as the pain slowly eased off. Peter was the first to stand and he motioned for the others to see what had happened to the map.

"What?" Ray asked breathlessly as he climbed to his feet. He stared at the spot where the majority of the pins had moved to and he squinted as he removed a few of the colored pins in the middle to read where the destination was.

"It looks like it's…" Ray started to say confusedly. The map suddenly burst into green flames and the four Ghostbusters jumped back in surprise before running for the fire extinguisher.


	31. Entombed

**Hey guys! I hope this lengthy chapter makes up for my lousy update schedules...please let me know what you think! I'd love some feedback please!**

Nikki clung to the vision of the Ghostbusters' firehouse, trying to plead with the four figures that were crouched on the floor in some sort of pain. No matter what she tried to tell them, she couldn't seem to get through. She whipped her gaze to the map on the wall and reached out towards it with the intention of targeting the small spot in the city where the cemetery was located. As she studied the wall, quickly trying to resist the cold tremors snaking through her body, the pushpins that the Ghostbusters used to mark the map were pulled as if magnetically towards the spot she indicated. Nikki's chest fluttered with hope which was quickly dashed when a thundering shout pulled her back into the darkness of the underground tomb.

"You stupid girl! You think because I've shown you how much more you can do, that it'll save you now?" Vincent exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the stone by her face. Nikki's eyes were streaming with tears inflicted by the pain she had endured. She stared up at him in defiance and his eyes were suddenly on fire with anger. He pulled his hand back and slapped her hard across the face, but all Nikki could feel was a sharp cut across her right cheek, as if a knife had sliced her. She cried out in surprise and didn't move as she spotted Shawn's shadowy face staring at her in contemplation through the crowd of ghosts.

"They're going to stop you." Nikki murmured, closing her eyes as she felt the warm trickle of blood running down her cheek. "Before you get to anyone else, they'll find you."

Vincent glared down at her and then scoffed as he straightened himself and looked at the crowd of ghosts around him.

"Why don't we get this over with then?" He suggested mockingly.

He reached his hand out towards Nikki's and she found that her fingers slowly uncurled from her fists, deep half-moon cuts on the insides of her palms from where her nails had cut into them. She could see bright white light shining from her open palms and Vincent seemed to be reaching out for it. She quickly tried to fight the force that was slowly stifling the burning energy in her palms, crying out as a flash of pain hit her mentally. Nikki's back arched as she struggled to clench her fists closed, but only succeeded in causing the bonds that held her wrists and feet to cut deeper into her skin.

 _"_ _Stop!"_ A voice shouted, breaking the sense of Vincent's frigid presence in her mind as he absorbed her power. Nikki fell limply back to the stone platform, gasping at the sudden break. Vincent slowly lowered his hand and regarded the figure in front of him.

"Boy…don't test my patience." Vincent growled warningly at his son who stood between him and Nikki.

"Then don't hurt her anymore." Shawn responded, keeping his voice even. Vincent's eyes darkened.

"You forget…you _yourself_ were the one who brought her here. You were the one who scouted out her power for us." Vincent said lowly. Nikki looked at Shawn who glanced down at her with an unreadable expression on his pale face.

"I know that. But I didn't know that you would be killing her in exchange for it." Shawn said. Vincent scoffed.

"Son…if you only knew how many died by my hand…" He shook his head with a teasing smile on his face. Nikki's heart pounded fearfully as she noticed Shawn's stance wavering.

"What is this newfound weakness, Shawn?" Helen asked lightly, stepping toward him. Shawn raised his hand in front of him to stop his mother's advance and she scowled at him.

"This girl has given your humanity back to you. We never should have trusted you with our bidding." Vincent growled. Shawn stared levelly at his father as he blocked Nikki from Vincent's view.

"You won't hurt her." Shawn ordered again calmly. Vincent stepped toward his son, a growl emanating in his throat. The other ghosts shifted to face Shawn as well but the boy's eyes were locked on his father.

Suddenly the man froze and seemed to be listening for something. He narrowed his eyes and slowly took a step back.

"We're not finished here." Vincent growled as he gestured for the other ghosts to follow him. In a swirl of green, they all disappeared through the portal overhead. A few seconds after they'd gone, the portal slowly started to dim and then the two remaining people were cast into complete darkness as the green glow vanished.

* * *

The Ecto-1 pulled up to the cemetery gates and the four Ghostbusters quickly geared up with their equipment. Ray was the first to reach the gates and he hurriedly pulled them open, dragging it through the deep snow that covered the ground.

"There's no footprints or anything…" Winston commented quietly as they trudged down the walkway, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"There wouldn't be. If those spooks conjured a portal through our mirror, they could make it lead to anywhere they wanted." Peter said, holding his proton thrower at the ready as they walked.

"How are the readings, Spengler?" Ray asked worriedly as he glanced around searchingly at the surrounding snow-covered graves. Egon walked right behind him, staring at the PKE meter alertly.

"We're getting closer…" He said slowly, glancing up every few seconds to verify their surroundings. "It doesn't seem to be any stronger than the past few times we've searched for these energy fluxes but if what we just experienced meant anything…then this has to be the place."

"It _has_ to be…" Ray repeated softly, drawing his own proton thrower as they walked through the eerily silent cemetery.

* * *

"…Nikki?"

Nikki jumped slightly at the sudden voice next to her ear in the pitch black darkness. She quickly tried to compose herself and then a soft green glow suddenly emanated around Shawn's silhouette. Nikki rested her head back against the stone she lay chained to and sighed, the breath clouding up frigidly above her.

"Leave me alone, Shawn." She breathed. She slowly closed her hands, massaging the painful cuts caused by her fingernails. Shawn was silent for a moment as he stood by her side.

"Nikki…I'm sorry." He said softly. Nikki slowly raised her gaze up to him.

"I don't want your apology. It doesn't matter now." She muttered, turning her face away from where he stood.

"Please don't say that." He said, moving to the other side of her. She grimaced as she squeezed her eyes shut in pain and then opened them after a moment to reveal the sad look on the ghost boy's face beside her.

" _You_ put me here. It was you from the beginning, wasn't it? When I fell into the pool that day…it was you." She said slowly. Shawn nodded wearily.

"Yes. But that was before I…"

"It doesn't matter that you apparently didn't know what they would do to me…I'm still here. Now…there's just one thing that I want to ask from you." She said, staring levelly at his dark eyes. He blinked and nodded sadly.

"Okay."

"When I become a ghost…I don't _ever_ want to see you again for the eternity or however long it is that we'll wander the earth." She said coldly.

Shawn stared down at her silently for a moment before she turned her face away from him once more. Nikki pulled uselessly against the freezing cold bonds that held her down and let out a small terrified moan. She squeezed her eyes shut as another cascade of tears slowly streamed down her face, mingling with the blood from the cut on her right cheek. She cried in the darkness for a long moment, Shawn standing close by worriedly. Finally, she opened her eyes again to see that Shawn was still there.

"…Does it hurt?" She asked shakily. Shawn looked carefully down at her, his eyes sad.

"Does what hurt?" He asked gently, stepping closer towards her shivering form. She swallowed hard and another few tears slid down her cheeks.

"…Dying." She said, her chin trembling from the fear and the cold she felt. Shawn sighed and his expression saddened even further.

"More than anything."

* * *

"Where is she?!" Ray said after several long minutes of wandering the snow enshrouded cemetery. "Why haven't we found anything?"

Egon looked up from his meter hurriedly at Ray's distressed voice and shook his head.

"Here, let me take the lead for a minute. I have a hunch." Peter said gently as he pushed ahead of the other three Ghostbusters.

"I hope we find her soon…if she's been out here this long in this cold…" Winston muttered worriedly. Ray bit his lip as he hurriedly followed Peter down the walkway, their boots crunching noisily in the frozen snow. If there was something lying in wait for their arrival, it would certainly be able to hear the four men coming.

"This is where I found Nikki yesterday…" Peter said quietly as they rounded a corner. A large white mausoleum came into view, shadows from the distant streetlights casting onto the silent structure eerily.

"Careful…" Egon warned, eyeing his meter warily. He slowed to a stop as the meter blinked tentatively. "There's…"

The cemetery suddenly burst into activity, figures flying up from behind tombstones and screeching towards the four Ghostbusters.

 _"_ _Duck!"_ Peter shouted as the nearest ghost dove toward them, murder in its glowing green eyes. Peter fired his proton thrower and the ghost was blown off course, and the force of the proton stream hit a nearby tombstone, blasting it in half.

"This is the place, alright!" Winston exclaimed as two ghosts flew up from behind the mausoleum and avoided the men's proton streams, spinning dizzyingly through the air.

Ray planted his feet firmly on the walkway and fired at the nearest ghost, one that seemed to be slightly larger than the others. All of the dozens of ghosts were glowing with the strange green glow that the men had been chasing for the past several days, and the glow was definitely stronger on the one facing down Ray. The man gritted his teeth and fired once more as the large ghost barely moved to the side to avoid the blast. Another ghost flew by and sent a force of energy that caused Ray to slip on the icy snow beneath his feet, sending the man sprawling on his side, mere inches from nearly hitting his head on a nearby tombstone.

"Ray!" Egon shouted as he dodged a blow from one of the two or three ghosts swirling in the air around him. "We're surrounded! Get back together so we can face them all at once!"

Ray struggled to his feet as the larger ghost narrowed his glowing green eyes at him. Ray held his thrower at the ready, not turning his back on the floating figure.

"Over here!" Winston said, firing at a cluster of ghosts, causing them to scatter angrily at the sudden blast of protonic energy.

"What's the plan?!" Peter asked as the four Ghostbusters congregated on the walkway, back to back.

"We deal with these ghosts, and hope that once they're defeated we can find Nikki." Egon said breathlessly. Ray looked around at the ghosts, who all had stopped in a wide circle around the Ghostbusters' small one.

"But there's so many…we don't have enough traps on us!" He protested worriedly.

"We're going to have to double or triple up on them, then." Egon said.

* * *

Shawn stood by Nikki's side, sensing the mix of emotions running through her as she lay chained to the stone alter. The two of them were enshrouded in nearly complete darkness, broken only by the dim green glow around Shawn. The ghost boy peered worriedly up at the thick stone above them where the green energy portal had disappeared nearly an hour ago.

The silence in the tomb was deafening and Shawn had been listening intently to Nikki's fearful breaths ever since she had turned down his attempts to apologize. The more time that went by, the shallower her breaths got. Shawn figured she had slipped into unconsciousness from the toll on her mind and body, but when her heartbeat suddenly grew irregular he started to worry.

"…Nikki?" He spoke up softly. He waited for a moment but there was no response from her. He turned toward her and through the darkness he could see that she wasn't moving save for the unsteady rise and fall of her chest from the short breaths she took. He hurried to her side and gently touched her bare shoulder. "Nikki?"

She shivered slightly and then groaned in pain. Shawn squeezed her arm lightly.

"Nikki, try and stay awake for me, alright?" Shawn said, looking once more up at the dark ceiling. Nikki coughed and another wave of shivers ran through her.

"…Shawn?" She asked weakly, her eyes still closed. Shawn nodded quickly and moved down closer toward her.

"Yeah. Talk to me, Nikki." He pleaded. She frowned slightly and took a short breath.

"I can't…" She said. Shawn glanced down worriedly at her.

"I know you're angry with me, but…"

"No…I can't…I can't _breathe_ …" Nikki protested.

Shawn's eyes widened in realization and he looked around hurriedly at the small underground space. He moved away from her for a brief moment to scan the tunnel for an opening to allow more air in. When he found none, he quickly returned to her side,

"Nikki?" Shawn looked up at the stone ceiling and then back down at Nikki who had grown still on the platform. "Nikki, hold on, I'm going for help…"

Shawn flew hurriedly straight up through the solid rock above them and materialized in the flickering blue torchlight of his tomb aboveground. He looked around at the silent space and then rushed for the sealed doorway where he could hear shouts and what sounded like explosions coming from the cemetery outside.

"They're here…" He murmured hopefully to himself as he phased through the stone wall and emerged on the steps outside.

The cemetery was chaos with ghosts flying randomly in every direction. The four Ghostbusters were pressed back-to-back down on the walkway, attempting to gain control over the dozens of ghosts zipping by over their heads. Blasts of bright orange light burst from the weapons they held, never quite striking the ghosts they aimed for. Shawn could see his father hovering along the walkway out of range of the madness going on at his will.

Shawn stood frozen on the steps to his family's tomb, watching in disbelief as the Ghostbusters tried again and again to hold their ground against the taunting ghosts. Shawn knew his father's game…he was going to wear them down and then go in for the final blow.

"There's not enough time…" He murmured to himself. He dove back through the stone walls of the mausoleum and phased through the cold floor to reach Nikki's side once more.

"Nikki…Nikki, please wake up." Shawn said, shaking her shoulder slightly. She was still shivering slightly, but not as regularly as she had been before. Shawn shook his head worriedly and touched her uninjured cheek. She choked out a small gasp of surprise, her face pained.

"S-Shawn…" She whispered. Shawn grabbed for the stone bonds at her wrists but they wouldn't budge – his father's power was too strong.

"Nikki, listen to me. Your father is up there. Do you hear me? The Ghostbusters are looking for you." He said quickly. Nikki frowned and moved her head to the side wearily and her eyes remained closed.

"You're – you're lying…" She said wearily. "I…couldn't get through…"

"No…no, they're up there, I promise you. We just need to let them know where you are…" Shawn said. He tried to phase his hand through the stone cuff on her wrist but even that was blocked by Vincent's overwhelming influence.

"Just…just leave…" Nikki sighed weakly. Shawn could see that she was weaker than ever, both from the lack of air and from whatever Vincent had done to her. Shawn touched her face gently, willing her to believe him.

"You're going to suffocate before anyone even knows you're down here…" He said, his voice shaking. He looked up at the dark stone ceiling above them. "Nikki, we need to open that portal again…"

"Shawn…I can't…I'm – I'm sorry…" She exhaled, a few more tears running down her pale face. Shawn looked down at her worriedly and slowly moved to the spot where his father had stood at the end of the stone table. He slowly placed his hands on either side of Nikki's face and could feel the warmth of her power as he concentrated on her.

"Nikki…I'm sorry…" He said softly. Instantly her body tensed and she choked out a scream as he merged his mind with hers.


	32. Rescue

**I know this may seem a little jumbled, but I'll just leave it up to you guys to piece together. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to shoot me a message or drop a review! I'm still looking forward for comments or thoughts about how this story is going! I am almost finished, I promise. :) I'll try to have the next chapter up by this time next week at the latest. Enjoy! :D**

Vincent watched as the Ghostbusters tried to contain their confusion and smiled at their useless attempts to hold their own against his ghost followers. At his will, the dozen or so glowing green spirits continued to swarm dizzyingly around the four men, slowly moving closer and closer to entrapping them.

Vincent suddenly looked away from the chaos going on before him and his gaze shot straight towards the mausoleum that stood several paces away. He could feel an unnatural energy radiating from the structure and he quickly moved away from the group of jeering ghosts to investigate. Suddenly without his control, the ghosts shrieked and began to flee in surprise as the Ghostbusters' proton streams finally were able to strike them.

Materializing in the dim blue light of the torches in the tomb, Vincent glanced down as a bright green glow slowly emanated from the stone floor. The color then started to swirl lazily and Vincent let out an angry growl as he dove through the newly materialized portal.

He found Shawn standing at the head of the stone table, his hands glowing green as he held them on either side of Nikki's face. She was silent as she still lay chained to the alter, but her hands were clenched into fists, glowing green with the energy conjured to form the portal above them.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?!" Vincent shouted, his voice echoing throughout the space. Shawn looked up hurriedly at his father's amplified voice, but he didn't move from his place by Nikki.

"She's going to die down here without air – then she'd be useless to you…" Shawn said, his voice pained as the glow still radiated from his connection with Nikki. Vincent flew towards the ghost boy and grabbed him by the throat. Nikki didn't move as Shawn's hands were pulled away from her, a surprised cry coming from him.

"Don't play like you're still on our side, Shawn." Vincent's voice was a low growl as he held Shawn several inches off of the ground. The ghost boy cringed in pain as Vincent's hand glowed a brighter shade of green, his power overtaking Shawn's.

"N-Nikki –"

"I don't know how you thought you had enough power to do this, but I'm going to take care of that problem now." Vincent said menacingly as he gestured up at the glowing portal that Shawn and Nikki had opened.

All at once, his grip tightened around Shawn's throat and the frigid cold energy that glowed from Vincent's hand slowly spread to the rest of Shawn's body. Shawn looked down at himself in confusion as the feeling started to overwhelm him. Energy was flowing through his veins and the air, which had been more than useless to him before now left him trembling. Shawn's eyes widened as Vincent's hands burned into him and the man lifted his son higher into the air and tossed him against the far wall.

Shawn cried out as he hit the stone wall solidly, the thump of his fall echoing in the small space. Vincent turned back to the girl and eyed her still form carefully, realizing that he had nearly ruined everything.

Nikki suddenly gasped in a lungful of air that had filtered down through the portal and her eyes flew open weakly. She looked around and, not seeing Shawn, her face drained of the rest of its color. She stared at Vincent in disbelief and he smiled as he approached her.

"Now…where were we?" He asked casually, the green glow in the space brightening.

* * *

"What's going on?!" Ray exclaimed in confusion as the ghosts suddenly seemed to lose their formation and seemed to retreat from the Ghostbusters.

"Don't question it – just get 'em!" Peter shouted as he wrangled one ghost with his proton stream and began pulling it back towards the group. The four Ghostbusters still stood in the small circle back to back, facing down the ghosts. Simultaneously, they each unclipped a trap from their belts and tossed it on the icy snow on the walkway in front of them.

Ray looked around hurriedly in the direction that the ghosts were all flying and managed to fire his thrower at a glowing figure as it flew right past him. The ghost cried out in anger and fear, turning its glowing green eyes to the bewildered Ghostbuster. The figure struggled against the bonds wrapped around its torso, arms and legs kicking at the air. Ray fought to keep his hands steady as he brought the protesting spirit over to the trap that lay waiting in front of him.

 _"_ _Duck!"_ Winston's voice shouted. Ray looked hurriedly to the left of where they all stood and could see a group of ghosts clustered together, moving full force towards the Ghostbusters. Ray rolled to the ground, breaking the hold on the spirit he had wrangled. He grasped for the trap in front of him and shielded his face as the bright light exploded upwards, entrapping the cluster of ghosts as they dove down to attack the men on the snowy ground. Ray quickly closed the trap again, and the other three Ghostbusters looked at Ray in surprise.

"…Quick thinking, Ray…" Peter said breathlessly as he moved to climb back to his feet. Egon and Winston nodded in agreement as the rest of the group pulled themselves up and carefully scraped the snow from their beige jumpsuits.

Ray looked in the direction that the ghosts had disappeared and could see a towering mausoleum down the walkway. A faint green glow seemed to be radiating from the dark building and he stooped to pick up the loaded trap in front of him before moving towards the tomb.

"Was…was it doing that earlier?" Winston asked hesitantly, pointing at the unnatural glow surrounding the old structure. Egon trailed after Ray, his PKE meter beeping shrilly as they approached the stone building.

"This is the place." Egon confirmed as they stood at the bottom of the stone steps leading up to the sealed entrance of the tomb.

"You think?" Peter said sarcastically. Ray slowly stepped up towards the stone wall, feeling the ground start to quake beneath his boots.

"How do we get in?" Winston asked, shifting his feet nervously on the steps. Ray pressed his gloved hand against the cold stone and could hear a pain-filled scream echoing distantly on the other side of it. He took a step back and drew his thrower, planting his feet firmly on the snow covered steps.

"Like this." Ray said, charging up the thrower.

"Ray-" Egon tried to stop him. Ray fired his thrower and the stone door caved in, revealing supernatural blue and green light coming from the interior.

"I'm coming, Nikki!" Ray exclaimed as he hurried through the hole he had blasted through the wall.

"Ray, hold up!" Peter murmured as he followed Ray up the stairs, knowing the Ghostbuster would stop at nothing to reach his daughter. As they entered the dark tomb, they could see that the green glow was emanating from the ground. The stone beneath their feet trembled and Peter grabbed onto Ray's proton pack before the man could stumble into the swirling portal.

"Well, that's unexpected." Winston commented warily as he and Egon followed them into the tomb. He looked around the room, taking in the sight of torches burning with blue flames. "That's…not good, is it?"

"Doesn't seem to be, no." Egon answered him quietly. He switched off the meter in his hand and clipped it back to his belt as he drew his proton thrower.

"I see her…" Ray said, peering down through the portal of swirling green energy that lay embedded in the floor of the center of the room.

A crowd of dark figures crowded around Nikki where she seemed to be lying on a raised platform. A large figure stood over her, and she screamed again as her hands started glowing.

"I've gotta get down there…" Ray muttered as he leaned closer to the portal.

"Ray, hold on…we've got to think this through." Egon said quickly, grabbing his friend's shoulder before he could step through the green glow. Ray threw a hurried glance over his shoulder at the other Ghostbusters.

"There isn't time, Spengler. That's my daughter down there. It's…my fault this is happening."

"Don't say that…" Peter said seriously. Ray shook his head and continued.

"I pushed her away…that's all there is to it. Now you three can stay up here and think about an escape plan, but…I need to get to her." Ray said shakily. Egon slowly took his gloved hand from Ray's shoulder and watched as the man leapt into the portal, the glow intensifying as he passed through it.

* * *

Nikki's screams echoed off the stone walls, tears streaming down her face as Vincent's hands glowed green against her face. His presence slowly crept into her mind, feeling like sharp knives stabbing into her temples. Her hands burned in the frigid room, while the rest of her body trembled and fought against his overwhelming presence.

All she could see was the psychokinetic green energy glowing in her vision. She could feel her mind growing cloudy as the adrenaline in her veins ran out. Her whole body ached and she could hardly feel the cold anymore. She looked pleadingly up to the portal swirling above her and blinked back tears as her pain-induced vision seemed to cause her to hallucinate. Blurred figures were standing on the other side of the glowing portal looking down at her and she shook her head warily to clear her dizzying vision.

Vincent, merged with her thoughts, opened his glowing green eyes and slowly raised his gaze to the portal as well.

"Looks like we have company…" He growled. He glanced down at Nikki's pale, tear-stained face and smiled wickedly. Nikki took a shaky breath as the large ghost stepped away from her and disappeared with the rest of his followers into the dark shadows along the stone walls. She tried to direct her attention back to the figures on the other side of the portal, but her head ached, a cold sensation tingling from where Vincent's fingers had formed the connection into her mind. She closed her eyes to the bright green glow, feeling her head pound painfully even in the darkness behind her eyelids.

* * *

Ray landed on the stone ground, his boots echoing in the space deafeningly. He still had his thrower gripped tightly in his right hand and he glanced around warily at the dark room, dancing with green light from the portal above him. The room was empty, save for the large stone alter in the center of the space where Nikki lay in a long white dress. Her hands and feet were bound tightly, the bonds seeming to come directly from the stone structure itself. Ray's heart leapt into his throat and he hurriedly climbed to his feet and rushed over to the table.

"Nikki?"

Ray's shaky voice echoed hollowly in the small space. He glanced cautiously around at his surroundings once more before holstering the thrower on the proton pack over his shoulder. He moved to his daughter's side and gently touched her arm. He breathed a quick sigh of relief when she shivered slightly and threw his black electrical gloves to the ground as he placed the back of his hand to her forehead.

"Nikki, you're ice cold…" He said worriedly. She moaned in pain and slowly stirred, opening her eyes weakly to look up at him. As she recognized her father standing over her, new tears filled her eyes.

"Dad – you're really here…" She breathed shakily. Ray nodded and lowered his hand to her cheek where a long cut sliced across her face, the blood shining in the green light.

"I'm here, sweetheart." He said reassuringly.

"Then that means…I got through to you…" She said slowly. Ray smiled softly and nodded again.

"We – we heard you." He said, realizing that the burst of psychokinetic energy that had overtaken the firehouse earlier in the evening had in fact been her doing. Nikki smiled wearily and then her eyes widened.

"Dad…" She whispered, her dark eyes filled with fear as she looked up at him. Ray brushed her messy dark hair away from her face and managed a strong smile.

"It's going to be alright, Nikki. We're going to get you out of here." He said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone of voice. Her panicked expression didn't change.

"Dad…take my hand." She murmured quickly, flexing her left hand, the nearest to him. Ray moved his hand away from her paling face and did as she told him, cringing at the icy cold of her fingers as she clutched at his hand tightly.

A wave of dizziness washed over the Ghostbuster and he wavered on his feet slightly as Nikki's influence took hold. He immediately glanced up, noticing movement along the stone walls of the room. Humanlike figures slowly crept out of the shadowy crevices in the wall, their faces glowing with wicked delight. Upon seeing that their supposed sneak attack had been foiled, they quickened their pace towards the man.

 _"_ _Dad, look out!"_ Nikki cried out as Ray pulled his hand out of her grasp to reach for his holstered thrower. The shadowy figures melted back into misty green ghosts to Ray who was now without Nikki's sight. He fired at the nearest round of spirits, backing up against the stone alter to protect Nikki as she still lay chained to it.

"He's alone, and vulnerable." A voice growled to Ray's right. He whirled around quickly, seeing the large ghost that had stood watch over the chaotic swarm of ghosts outside.

"He might be vulnerable, even a little gullible, but he's _not_ alone!"

Ray turned at the sudden contradicting voice and smiled in relief as Peter landed on the other side of the stone table, a rope dangling from the portal above them. Peter shrugged at Ray's unspoken question.

"Tied a rope to the back of the car. Figured it would work as an escape once we're finished here." Peter said lightly as he drew his own thrower from over his shoulder.

"Peter?!" Nikki asked in disbelief. Peter threw a reassuring smile over his shoulder at the girl.

"You run out on my winning game of Monopoly so you can play dress up?" He joked lightly, nodding at the long white dress she wore. Nikki managed a small smile and then she strained against the bonds on her hands as the two Ghostbusters were forced into defense mode when a round of ghosts dove towards them from all sides.

"Watch out for Vincent – he's trying to distract you with the others!" Nikki cried out. The larger ghost scowled at the girl from his place along the wall as he examined the action going on in front of him. He moved slowly in her direction and she tried desperately to get the Ghostbusters' attention.

"Which one is Vincent?!" Peter asked, leaning heavily against the stone alter as an advancing ghost, caught in his proton stream pressed itself dangerously close to the man.

"…The big one!" Ray shouted in reply as he threw one ghost against the wall to his left. He whirled around as Vincent suddenly appeared in front of Ray, the other ghosts scattering at the leader's presence.

 _"_ _Dad!"_ Nikki screamed fearfully.

 _"_ _Ray!"_ Peter exclaimed, turning at Nikki's reaction. Vincent grabbed Ray by the front of his jumpsuit and tossed him effortlessly to the ground. Ray slid along the floor and collided with the wall several feet away, his proton thrower sliding just out of reach of his limp fingers.

Vincent smirked and then moved his attention to Peter who had turned his proton thrower at the lead ghost. Nikki struggled against the cuffs around her wrists, crying out as the stone dug deeper into her skin.

 _"_ _Peter, don't!"_ She cried just as he charged up his thrower and fired it towards the leering ghost. Vincent spread his hands out in front of him, and instantly the Ghostbuster's proton stream changed from a bright orange glow to a sickly green color. The thrower in Peter's hands exploded as the energy was diverted back towards it and he cried out in surprise as he fell to the ground from the intensity of the blast.

Nikki looked at where her father lay against the far wall surrounded by half of the glowing green ghosts. Peter was on the other side of her and she quickly turned her gaze to him to see that he was being pinned against the opposite wall, clutching his hands which had been burnt even through the thick gloves he wore. He too was glancing at his unconscious colleague across the space.

 _"_ _We need backup!"_ Peter called out shrilly to the portal above them.

A second rope was suddenly thrown down through the portal and seconds later, Egon quickly lowered himself into the space. Upon landing roughly on the ground, he charged up his proton thrower, staring straight at Vincent.

"Careful Egon…he's a tricky one…" Peter called, his joking voice wavering. Egon nodded knowingly.

"Why are you doing this?" Egon demanded, his face stern as he faced down the large ghost. He shrugged slightly. "You seem to be persistent enough to have a few reasons."

"We _do_ have reasons…" Vincent's voice growled lowly. He slowly turned his gaze down towards where Nikki still struggled against her bonds, her eyes still trained on where Ray was slowly attempting to reach consciousness against the wall. Vincent slowly turned Nikki's face back up towards him and locked eyes with her. He could tell she was near the breaking point and that the time had come to finish his delayed plans. He smirked triumphantly and threw a teasing glance at the last standing Ghostbuster in front of him.

"…But you'll have to wait to find them out." Vincent finished, his voice a taunting growl. The ghosts that had been sneaking up behind Egon suddenly grabbed onto the man's shoulders and pulled him to the ground. The protonic energy that had been building up in his thrower was released as Egon fell back, the proton stream shooting at the stone ceiling, causing bits and shards of rock to rain down on the living people in the dark tunnel.

 _"…_ _No!"_ Nikki screamed as the ghosts swarmed around the stone alter, blocking the three Ghostbusters from her. Through the wall of green, Nikki could see that Ray had shaken himself awake and was slowly reaching for his proton thrower where it lay on the ground by his side.

Vincent dove toward her as Ray's proton stream shot over the table, striking the wall over Peter's head. Peter shouted in surprise and a few of the ghosts blocking the table from them flew towards Ray and pinned him against the wall. The thrower dangled on its cord by his side as the ghosts gripped his arms tightly to keep him immobile.

 _"_ _Nikki!"_ He cried out worriedly as Vincent's hands glowed that awful green color.

Nikki's mind was instantly overtaken, but this time she didn't have the chance to fight him. Her hands were on fire, clenched into painful fists to try and stifle the power flowing out of her and into him. She screamed in agonized pain as her mind felt like it was being torn apart in order for Vincent to get closer to her soul. She could feel the frigid cold coming from her temples and she pulled against her bonds as the feeling spread down the back of her neck and into her shoulders. The pain in her back from being thrown into the hard stone table intensified as her muscles tensed in a last attempt to fight against his influence.

 _"…_ _Do something!"_ Ray's voice drifted to her through the shrill screams being pulled from her throat. She could distantly hear the other two Ghostbusters yelling at each other and at her, but she could no longer make out any words. She dug her fingernails even deeper into her palms, the burning in her hands reaching a new intensity. Her father's words repeated in her broken mind and she was able to form one last thought before the feeling overtook her.

She was going to do something.


	33. Peace

**Hey everyone! First off, let me just deeply apologize for the extra delayed update...I've gotten a taste of what working two jobs feels like these past 2 weeks and I'm REALLY not a fan of it so far...** **So, I'm hoping that the length and the suspense of this chapter will make up for the past two weeks and I promise to try and push myself to finish this story before too long. Please let me know what you think and once again, I apologize if I let any of you down. Please enjoy! :D**

Ray struggled against the ghosts holding him along the wall, Nikki's screams echoing in his mind. His heart wrenched as he looked to where Peter and Egon were fighting against the ghosts' overwhelming hold as well.

"We've got to do something!" Ray finally cried out. He glanced up at the portal worriedly. "Where's Winston?!"

"I told him to stay on the other side! There's a chance that this could go badly and the doorway could collapse!" Egon shouted.

"Woah, Egon…I didn't know we were making those kinda choices, here!" Peter exclaimed, kicking forcefully at a ghost that had latched onto his boot.

"…And we'd all be trapped here…" Ray muttered fearfully in response to Egon's explanation, ceasing his struggles for the moment.

He swung his gaze up to where Nikki's screams were slowly dying off. The remaining green ghosts had formed a sort of wall between the Ghostbusters and the girl, and Ray suddenly fought even more severely as the bright white glow emanating from her fists grew steadily brighter. Vincent, the large glowing figure standing over Nikki, stared tauntingly down at the girl whose voice choked off in a final scream. She squeezed her eyes shut against the ghost's menacing grin and Ray struggled helplessly against the others ghosts' hold.

 _"Please!"_ He cried out, tears welling up in his eyes. He kicked for his fallen thrower by his side but the ghosts holding his arms down slapped him hard across the face, bringing him to his knees with their powerful force. "He's killing her…"

"He's absorbing her power…"Egon said with a slight frown. "…Or rather, he's trying to…"

"She's still trying to fight him…" Peter commented, his voice strained as the ghosts holding him against the wall shoved him even harder in the chest to silence him.

"She can't –" Ray pleaded, peering past the vengeful ghosts that were blocking his view.

Nikki's mouth was open in a silent scream as Vincent's voice echoed in a triumphant laugh. Slowly, her hands unclenched and the white light glowing from her palms suddenly exploded outward, absorbing the figures scattered around the small room and sending the three Ghostbusters tumbling to the cold stone floor with the force of it. The ground quaked beneath them as the cold air was washed with a warm heat for a brief few seconds before returning to its frigid temperature.

After a few moments of deafening silence, the three Ghostbusters slowly moved from where they had ducked to the ground in the blast of energy. Egon was the first to sit up, glancing around curiously in the green glow of the portal above. The ghosts that had filled the room only seconds before were nowhere to be seen.

"What…was that?!" Peter exclaimed as he stood up and rolled his shoulders to shake off the frigid cold that the ghosts' hold had left on him.

"Nicole!" Ray said quickly as he leapt to his feet to run to his daughter's side. She was still chained to the stone alter, her face deathly pale and her lips an unnatural blue color. Ray touched her freezing cheek, trying to awaken her.

"What happened to all of the ghosts? We didn't get to do anything…" Peter said slowly, his face etched with confusion.

"They must have all disappeared with that power surge…" Egon murmured thoughtfully as he took his PKE meter off of his belt and switched it on. After several long silent seconds he glanced up, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"All clear?" Peter asked hopefully. Egon nodded as he limped over to the other side of the stone table where Nikki lay. He took off his black gloves and discreetly placed his fingers on the side of her neck. Ray continued to look down at Nikki's unchanging state and then frowned worriedly.

"She's freezing…we need to get her out of here. We still have that blanket in the car, don't we?" He asked hurriedly.

Egon removed his hand from Nikki's neck and looked up at Ray sadly. When neither of the other two Ghostbusters answered him, Ray glanced up to see that Egon was staring at him levelly, his eyes shining sadly behind his glasses.

"…What?" Ray asked confusedly, his voice cracking. He threw a look at Peter who was slowly approaching the alter, his mouth open in an expression of disbelief. Ray looked back to Egon who slowly shook his head, glancing between Nikki's unmoving form and where Ray stood over her.

"Ray…I'm so sorry…" Egon's voice said softly. Ray's heart stopped as his mind slowly processed Egon's words. He lowered his gaze to Nikki's pale face and felt his knees grow weak.

"No…" He whispered, placing his hands along the sides of her cold face.

He leaned over her, his ear to her lips listening for the faintest sign of breathing. After a few heart-wrenching seconds he slowly looked back down at his daughter and let out a small desperate cry as he shook his head.

"This is _my fault_ …" He choked out, shaking with sobs. Peter stepped up behind his friend and rested his hand on Ray's shoulder.

"Ray…" Peter said gently. Ray shook his head and rubbed a hand down his face. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with emotion.

"You were right, Peter…I pushed her away."

"You had no way of knowing that this was going to happen…" Peter tried to reassure him. Ray sighed shakily.

"Of course I did. Deep down…it's like a part of me knew something like this was going to happen to her…that's why I didn't want her close to me. I thought that…if we just got through these few weeks...she would go back home and everything would go back to normal for her."

Egon and Peter listened to their colleague silently as he stood over Nikki's lifeless form. Ray touched the stone bonds at her wrists, noticing the jagged cracks and loose rubble that the cuffs had been reduced to as a result of the explosion of power. He cleared the remaining bits of stone, freeing her bonds as Peter did the same with her ankles.

Ray's throat tightened as he took in the dark bruises and bleeding cuts that had embedded themselves into her wrists and ankles from the tight stone bonds. He gathered her close to him, holding her head to his chest as he stood by the alter shaking with disbelief.

"Oh Nikki…I'm so sorry…" He breathed, bowing his head over hers and kissing her dark hair.

"She…must've thought she was protecting us. Saving us from all of those ghosts." Peter said softly. Egon threw him a silent glance and then nodded slowly as Ray raised his tear-filled gaze to his colleagues.

 _"…How was she able to do this?"_ Ray asked slowly. Egon shook his head thoughtfully.

"I'm sure there was a lot we were not able to learn about her abilities. Our theory about her power being linked to the ghosts surrounding her must have been correct. There was so much psychokinetic energy down here, she must have been absorbing it and when Vincent tried to take it from her, she used it all at once to get rid of the hostile spirits." Egon explained gently.

"And that's why the air still feels so charged…" Peter commented softly. He smiled sadly. "Pretty powerful kid."

Egon nodded solemnly and glanced up at the dimly glowing green portal still above them. He could see that the glow was slowly diminishing and he looked to where Ray still held Nikki against him on the stone table.

"Ray…we should probably think about getting out of here before that portal closes." Egon said. Ray was silent for another moment before shaking his head.

"I'm not leaving her again." He said levelly.

"We're not asking you to…" Peter said gently. He gestured up at the waning portal. "But if we don't get moving soon, then none of us will be leaving _anywhere."_

Ray looked up at the portal without really seeing it and then lowered his gaze back to his daughter. He brushed her tangled hair away from the pale frame of her face and took in her calm expression.

"I…I can't lose you again." He whispered. He took her cold hand in his and felt the guilt in his heart rise up to overtake him.

* * *

"...What's wrong, Daddy?"

Ray glanced up slowly at the small childlike voice in front of him. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized Nikki's old bedroom from the apartment he had owned when his little family was still together. He lowered his gaze to the small bed before him and his eyes clouded up with tears as he saw little five year old Nikki sitting against her pillows, one of his old ghost story books in her lap. Ray's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't tear his gaze away from the clear, yet distant memory of the last time he had physically seen his daughter so young.

"Nothing's wrong, sweetheart. Just had a long day, that's all." His own voice responded to her.

"Are you sad because you don't get to come to Grandma's with me and Mommy?" She asked softly. Her tiny mouth was set in a small frown.

"Yeah…I guess that must be it."

Nikki blinked up at him and bit her lip as her gaze slowly trailed back down to the book in her lap. She picked at the ends of the worn pages thoughtfully before looking back up at him.

"I'm going to miss you reading to me before bed…" She said slowly. Ray's throat grew tighter as she smiled at him. "…But you'll just have to catch me up on your school work whenever we get back."

Ray was silent for a long moment, taking in his young daughter's teasing smile. He suddenly couldn't form words as the only thought he could foresee was having to let her go in the morning when Meredith hauled her across the airport to the gate for their plane. He swallowed past the lump in his throat as he made himself nod.

"Of course I will." His expression must have betrayed him because when he glanced back up at her, her small round face was sad.

"Daddy…"

Little Nikki slowly closed the book in her lap and pushed her blankets off of herself. She crawled to the edge of the bed towards him and Ray held his arms out for her. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and leaned against his shoulder as he held her.

"I don't want to go without you…" Her tiny voice said in his ear. He smiled sadly and squeezed his eyes shut against his tears.

"I know, sweetheart."

* * *

Shawn startled awake on the stone cold floor of the cave-like space. He still lay against the wall where he had fallen, his whole body aching. He winced as he shifted his arm against the wall to push himself away from it. His mouth fell open in a silent cry of surprise as a sharp pain shot into his shoulder. He stopped moving and then stared at the wall in front of him, glowing green from the portal still hovering behind him. His eyes suddenly widened in disbelief and he forced himself to turn around.

The three Ghostbusters were standing by the stone alter that Nikki had been chained to. Her white-clothed form was blocked from him by the other three bodies standing over her. Shawn managed to push himself into an almost sitting position and he gently touched his face as he felt a strange warm feeling in his forehead. He cringed and quickly pulled his hand down to examine it and he froze as his fingers came away coated in blood.

"Nikki…" He breathed as he looked fearfully at her unmoving form where her father held her. Shawn's now-beating heart hammered as he felt a familiar charge of energy in the room. He recognized Nikki's life force amidst the other three Ghostbusters' in the room, but hers was quickly fading. He opened his mouth to call out to the men several feet away from him but his voice caught in his throat before he could form the words. He could see two of the Ghostbusters trying to warn their colleague, Nikki's father, of their diminishing time. His eyes moved upward to the glowing portal in the ceiling and he could feel its energy dwindling along with Nikki's. A cold chill ran through him and he closed his eyes against the foreign feeling.

"There's no way that this is possible…" He whispered to himself as he clenched his hands into slight fists, feeling the pain shoot up his injured arm. Keeping his eyes closed he mentally reached out for Nikki's presence, his chest growing tight as he focused solely on finding her.

* * *

Nikki lay peacefully on the ground, heat washing over her like the warmth from the summer sun. Her eyelids were heavy and her breathing was even as she lay on her back with her arms draped lazily across her middle. There was almost no sound around her except for the slight breeze rustling in what sounded like trees nearby.

Nikki smiled softly as she was overcome with a sense of calm, knowing that she had done what she'd needed to do. She had rid the world of the murderous ghosts that had tortured her into connecting with the other unfortunate people that had been gifted with abilities like hers. She had even prevented them from having to go through the same torment and pain that she had. As for her father and his friends…she knew that they were safe as well.

Just as she was falling deeper into the relaxing sleep she so desperately wanted, she heard a small whisper in her ear. She mentally brushed it aside and let the soothing breeze above her lull her further down into unconsciousness.

"Nikki…"

A whisper carried toward her through the air and she felt herself being pulled away from the calming darkness of sleep.

"I know you can hear me…we were…still connected…" The voice seemed to grow more distinct as she reluctantly found herself listening to it.

She slowly opened her eyes and could see that the source of the warmth spreading over her skin was indeed coming from the sun above her. Her gaze darted hesitantly around and she found that she was lying in the middle of a meadow full of soft sun-warmed grass. Flowers dotted her vision of the hill around her and the sound of rustling trees behind her grew steadily louder as the breeze continued to drift by.

"Where am I?" She murmured to herself in wonder, slowly sitting up so that she could oversee the meadow that surrounded her.

"You're in between worlds, Nikki."

"Shawn?" Nikki called softly, looking around for the ghost boy. She peered curiously through the nearby trees – weeping willows that shifted lazily in the movement from the air.

"Yes, it's me. That's good that you can remember." He responded gently.

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked confusedly, still scanning the area for a glimpse of the boy whose voice she could hear so close by.

"You're moving away too quickly…" His voice was pained and Nikki frowned worriedly.

"What do you mean? Shawn, I'm not moving anywhere."

"It may not seem that way, but I can feel you getting further and further away."

Nikki frowned slightly and looked at her surroundings, the trees and flowers seemingly peaceful in the swaying motion from the warm breeze.

"Shawn, why can't I see you?" She asked softly.

"You're moving to a different plane. I'm…I'm still here in the land of the living." His voice was gentle, but Nikki could hear worry lacing his words.

Nikki looked down at the grass where she was absentmindedly intertwining the blades between her fingers. She stared at the motion of her hand for a few seconds and could feel the drowsy feeling creep up on her slowly.

"Nikki, you need to stay with me okay?" Shawn's voice brought her back. She glanced up at the staggering of dogwood trees in bloom past the willows and smiled as the sunlight filtered through their leaves and caused a small shimmer of light on the grass beneath them. The sunlight still warmed her body, which was clothed in the white dress she had found herself wearing in the underground tomb.

"Shawn…I'm so tired…" She murmured as she felt her fingers stop fidgeting with the soft blades of grass by her side. She slowly lowered herself back to the grassy bed and her eyelids grew heavy once more.

"I know you are…but if you fall asleep there…you won't wake up." Shawn's voice was growing distant, but the intensity of his words was still strong. Nikki felt a pang of sadness emerge through the peace overtaking her and she forced her eyes open to look at the clear sky above her.

"Maybe…maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing." She breathed, the sunlight like a warm embrace on her skin.

"If you could just come back for a moment…to see…" Shawn's voice was back to being barely a whisper as Nikki allowed her eyes to close.

Suddenly, through the warmth heating her body, she could feel a cold start at her fingertips. She twitched her hand towards the sun- warmed grass by her side but Shawn's voice interrupted her.

"No…hold on to it…" He coaxed her.

Nikki froze, concentrating on the frigid feeling in her fingers and then her other hand slowly started to feel the same. The cold slowly spread up past her palms and as it reached her wrists a gasp escaped her lips as a sharp, familiar pain laced her skin. The cold quickened its movement through her arms and shoulders and the warmth of the sun disappeared. The calm meadow also darkened around her and was replaced by a familiar dim green glow.

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she recognized the underground tomb that had only previously held over a dozen power-crazed ghosts. The space was silent now, broken only by familiar distant voices. Nikki lowered her gaze to the ground and she was startled slightly to see a human- shape crouched in the corner. She knelt down and recognized Shawn immediately, his dark eyes shining in the green glow of the tunnel.

"Shawn…" She said thoughtfully, reaching out to touch his face. His eyes widened and he took a shaky breath as her fingers grazed his cheek.

"Nikki…you did come back…" He whispered. Nikki looked at his eyes and could see that he was looking right through her. She pulled her hand away from his face and noticed the dark spot of blood coloring his forehead just below his hairline.

"You're…bleeding?" She said in confusion. Shawn managed a small smile as he slowly nodded.

"Yeah…" He breathed. Nikki shook her head.

"How…?"

"I'm…not sure, really." He admitted softly. "But don't worry about me, Nikki. There's no time…"

Shawn pointed at the portal overhead, which was slowly losing its green glow. The surrounding tunnel was flickering in the threatening darkness and Nikki lowered her gaze thoughtfully to the small group of people directly below the portal.

"Ray…we need to go." Peter said to his friend gently. Egon was looking down at the meter in his hand, which had started to beep and flash brightly in the dimly lit space.

"There's something here…the meter just now picked it up." Egon said slowly. Nikki looked around the tunnel worriedly, thinking that maybe Vincent had more allies or followers than she had originally assumed.

"Oh great…that means they're coming back?" Peter asked under his breath as he examined his ruined proton thrower.

"No…" Egon said thoughtfully. He glanced around unsurely as he reached for his own thrower. Peter holstered what was left of his and turned to Ray who stood with his back to where Nikki stood behind him.

"Ray…please don't space out on us like this…" Peter begged, shaking his friend's shoulder slightly.

Nikki looked down at Shawn in confusion and his eyes were sad as she moved toward the trio of Ghostbusters a few feet away. She rounded the table where her father stood and she froze as she could see what he was standing over.

Ray's arms were wrapped protectively around Nikki where her body lay like a large rag doll on the stone table he leaned against. His hand was firmly grasping her own and his face was tilted downward, his eyes staring unblinkingly at the table past his daughter.

Nikki stood looking over the scene in disbelief, at her own body in her father's arms. A numb feeling washed over her and she was frozen as realization crept up on her.

"I…I knew that this was what happened…why did you bring me here?" She asked hollowly, staring past the three Ghostbusters and to where Shawn still crouched by the wall behind them. His face was twisted in pain as he held his shoulder and he lowered his gaze to the ground as he responded.

"You needed to see what you were doing to your father…" He said almost silently. His voice rang loud and clear in her mind, and the Ghostbusters still seemed to have no idea that he was there.

"That's…that's what happens when anyone dies…I've read about experiences like this…I knew it would hurt them, but…I had to do something…" She protested, looking back at Ray's blank face, pale and shining with tears.

"Don't you see though, Nikki? You're bringing him down with you. The guilt…it's going to kill him." Shawn said.

Nikki suddenly could see. She looked to where his hand held hers and she could feel the torment that was going through his mind. He was entrapped in a vision that the remaining effect of her power had cast on him and if it wasn't put to an end soon, he would be lost as well.

"Ray, you've gotta snap out of it! There's something here and you have one of the only still-functioning packs…" Peter continued to try and talk his friend out of his daze but it was still no use.

"Venkman…you still have a trap on you, correct?" Egon asked, holding his thrower out guardedly in front of him as the PKE meter on his belt whirred and flashed warningly. Peter nodded slowly as he reached for the trap.

"Nikki…there's no time…" Shawn repeated warningly and Nikki suddenly realized that the Ghostbusters were being alerted of _her_ presence. Her _ghostly_ presence in the underground tomb.

Nikki quickly moved closer to the tabletop where her body was being cradled in Ray's arms. The overwhelming numbness surrounding her grew to a frigid cold sensation as she hesitantly reached her ghostly hand out towards where Ray held her body's hand. A dizzying feeling washed over her and then everything was shrouded in darkness.


	34. Clouded Memories

**Hey ya'll. Once more I feel like I've gotta apologize for my lack of updating as often as I did before. I'm drawing this story to a close soon though, hopefully so hopefully that will put your minds at ease. I want to thank the ones who have kept up with me this far and I feel like I've let a lot of you down with how I've neglected this story - but working two jobs now and having no free time has taken a toll on me I regret to say. I do hope to work on more stories in the future, but right now I'm just going to try and get adjusted to this new schedule of mine. This chapter isn't the end - hope I didn't give anyone any heart-attacks but it is drawing to a close. Like always, please try to leave me a comment on what you'd like me to start thinking about for my next story and I hope you enjoy what I've got for you here! :)**

 **This chapter kinda goes into Ray's memories of past Ghost-Busting experiences and you will see that I took some of those from the first and second Ghostbusters movies. Just throwing a disclaimer in there. Okay now you can start. :)**

"Promise you'll call us as soon as we land at the airport tomorrow?" Nikki's small child voice said in Ray's ear. He stared at the wall behind her bed, clutching her small form closer to him.

"I promise, sweetie." He said, his voice choked with emotion. Ray felt a chill run down his spine as the room faded from the soft light emanating from her bedside lamp to the dreaded green glow that signified the energy that had overwhelmed Nikki in the present. He struggled to hold onto the small figure in his arms, suddenly fearful as the vision blurred around him.

* * *

The first thing that Nikki felt was the pain. The unsettling numbness that had washed over her was now overcome with an agonizing pain in her mind. She still felt like she was detached from her body, but she could distantly feel her father's arms wrapped around her shoulders. Her eyes remained closed and she slowly forced herself to tighten her fingers in Ray's hand. Her mind went spinning once more and she was pulled out of the darkness and into a vision swirling with the green glow that had haunted her for what seemed like forever.

She could see scenes playing out before her, much like what she had felt when Vincent had been in control of her mind. This time however, she was witnessing memories – some from her childhood back when she had been so close to her father.

Greeting Ray as he came home from work…him sweeping her into his arms after dropping his briefcase from the school on the floor by the door…Ray sitting at the table after dinner working on his paperwork while also watching Nikki where she played in the living room with her 'ghost friends'…and then of course the nightly rituals of conversing about ghosts and spirits before he put her to bed.

Nikki found herself paused in a memory of one of the last nights she could remember before her mother moved her away. She was standing in the corner of her old bedroom, the scene seeming almost foreign to her as she stared silently at the small girl in her bed with Ray, looking years younger in the chair beside her.

"…Can ghosts hurt people?" The small version of Nikki asked, her voice curious as she regarded her father. Ray smiled slowly as he responded to her.

"…Well so far it doesn't seem that way. Ghosts are just…people who have passed on from this level of living and entered another plane."

"I saw one again today, Daddy."

Nikki, still standing quietly in the corner of the room clutched her hand to her heart as she remembered the banshee that had visited her on this particular afternoon. As the quiet conversation carried out in front of her, she slowly processed the memory in her mind.

She remembered that her father had told her banshees usually appeared to people as a warning, before something bad happened. Could it be that the ghost had been warning young Nikki of her parents' coming separation and what would happen in the future when she was finally reunited with her father again?

When she glanced up again, the younger version of herself was looking directly at her in the corner of the room. Nikki blinked hurriedly in disbelief and shifted warily underneath the little girl's gaze. When Ray hesitantly turned to glance over his shoulder to look at what his small daughter was seeing, Nikki's breath caught in her throat. For a brief millisecond, their gazes locked and then the room spun out of focus.

She could hear her father's voice around her and suddenly she wasn't in her own memories anymore. She could see Egon, Peter and Winston all in their Ghostbusters' uniforms, proton packs activated and held ready as they approached what looked like a red-eyed woman in white. Two huge dog-looking creatures crouched on either side of her, looking like they were ready to pounce should the four Ghostbusters get too close. Bolts of lightning shot from the creature's fingertips, sending the four Ghostbusters flying against the roof of the building. Nikki cried out in fear as the brightness of the lightning overtook her and suddenly the scene changed to thundering silence as the four Ghostbusters, battered and fearful stood on the edge of the building overlooking the streets below. She found herself right behind them, peering almost over their shoulders at the giant marshmallow man trudging through the city. Though she remembered the story from the papers she had sent for, her heart still hammered fearfully in her chest as she witnessed Stay Puft in all of his enormity.

"It's a memory…" She said to herself as she reached out to steady herself against the stone wall of the building beside her. To her heart-stopping surprise, her hand fell through the wall and she stumbled slightly to catch herself. As she did, the scene shifted again and the Ghostbusters were once more staring up at the tall gates guarded by the two dog-like creatures from before.

"…See you on the other side, Ray." Peter was saying as the four men charged up their throwers. Nikki could see the fear in all of their faces as they looked up to where they were aiming.

"Dad…" Nikki tried, standing to the side of where the Ghostbusters had lined up. Ray slowly glanced to the side looking at Peter but his gaze faltered as he seemed to notice Nikki there. Nikki immediately waved her hand to hold his attention. "Dad!"

The ground trembled as Stay Puft reached the top of the building and the vision blurred once more.

The Ghostbusters were all scattered on the floor against the wall of what looked like an old museum. Nikki could see pain etched on their faces and she turned her head as she could feel the energy of the being that was causing it. The man standing in front of them looked like he had come straight from medieval times and she realized that this ghost must have been the cause for the New Year's attack back when she had started high school.

She had read about it in the papers she had been sent and had also seen the news for the few days afterward – despite her mother unplugging the television every time it came on. But Nikki still caught glimpses of the Statue of Liberty walking through the streets of New York, the small figures of the four Ghostbusters up in her crown.

Vigo the Carpathian turned his attention away from the entrapped Ghostbusters and Nikki took her chance to try and break through the memories clouding both her mind and Ray's.

"Dad?!" She exclaimed as she darted across the room, past where Peter was trying to take Vigo's attention away from the small baby in the corner of the room. Ray's gaze was on the baby boy, worry etched on his face as the ghost picked the child up. Nikki knelt down next to Ray and waved her hand in front of his face. He blinked and slowly found that he could turn his head and his eyes widened as they landed on her.

"…Nikki…" He breathed.

"Dad…it's not real. These are memories…" She stammered, as the scene blurred around them. Ray moved to tear his gaze away from her but Nikki threw her hand out before he could and hurriedly grasped his hand. Everything stopped then, and Nikki closed her eyes to the dizzying sensation of rushing back past the rest of the memories until they finally reached the present with what felt like a grinding halt.

* * *

Ray shook himself and his mind returned to the present, the green glow around him dulling as its hold on him loosened. He blinked several times as his heart rate slowed back to normal and his vision focused on where he had been staring blankly at the stone wall in front of him. Peter and Egon had their backs to him, not noticing Ray's return to reality. Ray slowly lowered his gaze back down to Nikki, remembering how she had pulled him out of his overwhelming memories.

There seemed to be no change in the girl, however. Ray studied her pale face, and squeezed her hand lightly, expecting some small reaction from her. He shook his head sadly before holding her closer and taking his hand out of hers to wrap his other arm around her protectively.

"You brought me back…but I'm sorry that I can't do the same for you, sweetheart." He breathed. Egon turned over his shoulder as he heard Ray's small choked cry.

"Ray?" He asked warily. Peter too, turned around to see that Ray's demeanor had changed and he sighed in slight relief at Ray's return to the present.

"Come on…we need to get you both out of here before this portal thing closes." Peter said, shuffling back to where Ray stood over Nikki.

"…Okay…"Ray stammered quietly. Peter smiled sadly at Ray and glanced up to see that Egon was once more entranced in the PKE meter in his hand. He noticed that the device had grown eerily silent and he frowned as he watched Egon slowly scan the corner of the room, hesitantly walking away from the other two Ghostbusters with his proton thrower aimed in his other hand.

"…Everything alright, Spengz?" Peter called softly, looking between where Ray stood over his daughter and to where Egon was slowly working his way to the shadows along the far wall of the tunnel.

"I'm…not sure…" Egon said thoughtfully. Peter stepped away from Ray and moved to follow Egon for backup. Ray glanced up after his colleagues, his eyes scanning the room worriedly.

"W-What is it?" Ray asked warily.

"We were picking something up on the meter just now…and it's suddenly just…gone." Peter explained.

"Something like what?" Ray asked, his voice thick with emotion. Before either of the other two Ghostbusters could answer, Ray's heart gave a start as Nikki moved slightly in his arms.

"It doesn't appear to be related to the cult of ghosts that was here before…" Egon said unknowingly.

Ray wasn't listening. His voice was caught in his throat as he loosened his hold around Nikki and looked down into her pale face. Her eyebrows pinched together in pain and a small groan escaped her lips.

"Nikki?" Ray said hopefully.

"Dad…you're…you're squeezing me too tight…I can't breathe."

Nikki's eyes fluttered open and her dark brown gaze slowly focused on Ray's tear streaked face as she stared at him silently for several seconds before a halfhearted smile touched her lips. Her eyes instantly shone with tears and her chin trembled as Ray looked down at her in disbelief. Wordlessly, Ray pulled her closer and she leaned against his chest, tears running down her face as she sobbed into his Ghostbusters uniform.

"What?" Peter said, whirling around once more to see the father and daughter both holding each other as they cried fearful, yet thankful tears. Egon took his gaze off of the meter as well, his eyes wide with disbelief behind his glasses.

"Dad…I saw it…I saw the spirit world…" Nikki said, shaking with sobs and with the cold. Ray nodded knowingly as he stroked her dark hair, brushing it back behind her ears reassuringly.

"I know, sweetheart." He said, his voice cracking.

"Nikki…how are you feeling right now?" Egon asked thoughtfully, turning his meter on her. She pulled her face out of Ray's chest, her eyes red from crying as she regarded Egon and Peter warily.

"…Numb. But not like before…" She said in between sobs. Egon looked at her in confusion and she shook her head before he could question her further. "I just want to get out of here…"

"How are you going to do that?" A voice said from the corner of the room.

Peter, Egon and Ray all jumped at the shadow approaching them and Egon charged up his thrower guardedly. Nikki looked up in surprise and then recognition flashed across her face.

 _"_ _Don't shoot!"_ A young man's voice shouted, the sound echoing throughout the small space. Egon lowered his thrower as a tall figure clothed in a dark coat and pants emerged from the shadows, his pale hands held up in front of him defensively.

"Who are you?!" Peter called warningly.

"It's…It's Shawn…" Nikki said softly. Peter glanced back at her gently before his face hardened.

"The ghost kid that brought you here?" He asked. Nikki looked past the vengeful Ghostbuster to where Shawn was stumbling over to the group warily.

"But…he's clearly alive." Egon said suspiciously. Shawn nodded, his dark gaze wavering as he lowered his hands and clutched at his shoulder shakily.

"How?" Ray asked skeptically, pulling Nikki closer protectively. Shawn stopped a few feet away from them and opened his mouth to form a response.

"He was trying to stop them…and they hurt him somehow." Nikki answered for him. Shawn held her gaze for a moment before looking up to Ray and the other two Ghostbusters hesitantly. They were all silent for the next few seconds and then Shawn nodded up to the portal still faltering above them.

"You were talking about finding a way out, right?" He said. "We'd better hurry…there are only a few minutes left before its energy runs out."

"You think we're going to trust you?" Peter said to the boy coldly.

"Don't do this…" Nikki said wearily. Shawn tore his guarded gaze away from Peter to see Nikki struggling to stay conscious in her father's arms.

"You think I'm going to be stupid enough to go up against the Ghostbusters alone?" Shawn joked halfheartedly. His face turned serious as Nikki looked at him pleadingly. "I want to help…really, I do."

"Then give us a hand. Peter – you and Shawn climb up those ropes and tell Winston what's going on." Egon said quickly, glancing up at the portal in calculation. Peter flashed Shawn a wary look before moving over to the closest rope and grabbing hold of it. Shawn stumbled after him, biting his lip against the pain.

"What's the matter kid? Scared of a little confrontation when we all get back?" Peter quipped, noticing Shawn's hesitation.

"He's injured." Egon said, moving over to Shawn quickly. Shawn shook his head slowly.

"It's not just that…look." Shawn said dejectedly as he pointed up at the portal. The swirling green glow was dimming even more rapidly, the portal now the size of a child's hula hoop. Shawn hurried to Nikki's side and touched her arm persistently. "Nikki, we need you to do one more thing."

"We're out of time!" Peter said as he furiously attempted to climb the rope still dangling from the portal.

"Venkman – stop!" Ray called worriedly as the portal shrank even further, the rope suddenly cut off as if a knife had sliced it. Venkman fell the few feet he had managed to climb, throwing the rope to the stone ground desperately as the green glow faded to almost nothing, shrouding the group in darkness save for the lights on the two working proton packs.

"Nikki, take my hand." Shawn said quickly, looking at the diminishing portal. Ray looked at the boy and shook his head.

"No…she's got no power or energy or whatever you want to call it – left! You're not going to…"

"Dad." Nikki said under her breath, silencing him. Ray's eyes were sad as he watched Nikki reach for Shawn's hand timidly.

"Shawn…if this hurts her...you're really in for it when we get back." Peter warned angrily as he moved closer to the stone table.

Shawn's face was apologetic as he grasped Nikki's pale hand and she gasped sharply as she felt a hint of her power resurface with his touch. Instinctively she raised her other hand up to the dark ceiling as if she was reaching up for the small portal. Shawn's gaze was glued to the dim green glow as well, his jaw set firmly as his eyes shone with pain. Nikki's bare arm trembled in the cold and her muscles tensed as if she were holding on to something with all of her strength. Her hand started glowing weakly with a bright white light and the portal seemed to slowly inch along the ceiling and to the far wall.

"It's…moving." Ray said from where he stood next to her. Egon drew his meter with interest and as soon as he switched it on the lights on the device went wild.

"How?" Peter asked

Ray moved as Nikki hesitantly swung her legs over the edge of the stone table, her eyes wide in deep concentration. She slowly stood on the cold stone floor, one hand still clutching Shawn's firmly as she controlled the path of the moving portal. Ray took a step back as the green portal came to a rest in the center of the wall, now only the size of a dinner plate.

 _"_ _Nikki, now!"_ Shawn said quickly. Nikki flexed her fingers out towards the wall and the portal flashed to the size of a doorway that the group of people could once more fit through. The glow from her palm faded and she cried out in pain as her bruised ankles gave out beneath her. Shawn too, fell to his knees as their hands were pulled away from each other.

 _"_ _Run!"_ Egon shouted as he made a break for the now open portal. The other two Ghostbusters leapt into motion to follow him. Ray hoisted Nikki into his arms and Peter stooped to help Shawn up, draping the boy's arm over his shoulder and half-dragging him out of the tunnel as well.

As soon as each of the Ghostbusters passed through the portal, the world flipped as the change in gravity took hold. The portal, still swirling from the floor of the aboveground tomb glowed brightly as the three Ghostbusters emerged, flying into the far wall from the unsettling shift in reality. Shawn and Nikki fell with them, Nikki landing against Ray and Shawn against Peter.

"Way to resurface!" Winston exclaimed, relief clearly evident in his voice. He paused as Ray, Peter and Egon all groaned in pain. "You brought…a friend?"

Shawn grimaced as he used his good arm to push himself up off of Peter and he smiled wearily at Winston as he leaned against the wall to allow Peter to stand up.

"Yeah…this is Shawn." Peter explained, the distrust all but gone from his voice as he glanced down at the boy. Winston blinked confusedly and then shook his head to clear it.

"Okay…so what do you guys think we should do about this portal still sitting here?" Winston said, gesturing to the floor where the five people had just emerged.

"We've…gotta close it." Ray said as he gently moved Nikki where she had landed in his side. Shawn nodded to Ray as the girl's father stood and drew his proton thrower along with Egon and Winston. Peter stood by warily, his thrower damaged beyond repair for the moment.

"Cross the streams?" Winston asked as he charged up his thrower. Egon nodded in confirmation and Ray smiled halfheartedly.

"Just like old times." Ray said as he and Egon both fired their proton streams and joined them. Winston fired as well and both Peter and Shawn had to turn their heads to avoid the bright light building up before their eyes.

Nikki leaned into Shawn's uninjured shoulder staring at her father where he stood close by his friends, putting a final end to the nightmare that had threatened to overtake her. She shivered as the last bit of the glowing green portal disappeared, overwhelmed by the orange light of the Ghostbusters' proton streams. With a loud thundering sound that shook the ground, the portal was closed and the three Ghostbusters retreated a few steps to regain their footing, shutting off the proton packs.

Nikki's heart pounded in her chest painfully as the destroyed wall of Shawn's family crypt let in even more of the frigid air, causing her to shiver almost uncontrollably next to Shawn. Her head was swimming as she stared at the spot where the portal had been, expecting it to return and swallow her up once more.

"Let's go…we can worry about all of this later…" Peter was saying as he motioned for the others to walk past the damaged chunks of stone wall amid the three silent crypts against the three still standing walls.

"Nikki, can you stand?" Shawn asked her gently as the Ghostbusters scanned the area for signs of the ghost cult manifesting again. The girl's gaze drifted slowly over to one of the dark crypts, the one that Shawn had previously backed her into what felt like hours ago. His own grave.

"Everything's clear, for now. We'll come back regularly for checks, of course but Venkman's right. We need to get to the hospital." Egon said firmly.

"Yeah…Little Stantz is going to need some work, I think." Peter said lightly, taking note of the distant look on Nikki's face. Upon hearing her nickname she glanced up at him and smiled warily.

"Just some rest, I think…" She mumbled as Shawn quickly removed his black coat and wrapped it around her bare shoulders, the white dress now stained with the bits of rubble and dust from the mausoleum floor.

"I'm really interested to hear how this all played out down there…" Winston said, nodding towards Nikki's apparel and the array of bruises and wounds on her limbs.

"Not now, Winston. I'm not ready to live through that again just yet…" Ray said, holstering his thrower and moving toward where Nikki lay against Shawn's shoulder, shivering.

"N-Neither am I…" Nikki murmured, her eyes drifting closed as she lost consciousness.

"Nikki?" Ray asked, worry lacing his voice as he knelt next to her, his eyes wide. Shawn gently helped Ray to gather her into his arms once more and the Ghostbuster stood and moved quickly to carry the girl out of the frigid mausoleum. "We have to go now!"

"You look like you need some attention too…" Winston commented as he stooped to offer Shawn a hand in standing up. The boy nodded silently as he clutched at his injured shoulder and followed the Ghostbusters wearily, shaky on his feet from the wound in his forehead and lack of energy. Peter glanced back at him warily as they made their way down the snow covered walkway, hurrying for the gate where their car waited, lights still flashing.

"Hey – he's going down!" Peter shouted, suddenly turning and rushing back towards the boy as Shawn felt his knees give out. Peter ran forward as he grabbed ahold of Shawn's shoulders and pulled him up out of the snow where he had fallen.

"I'm…I'm fine…" Shawn stammered, trying to shake Peter off of him so that he could stand on his own. Peter shook his head and wrapped an arm under Shawn's and helped him to continue out of the cemetery.

"You're not fine, kid." Peter said gently. Shawn winced and then a pain-filled gasp escaped his throat, clouding up in the air before them.

"Just…get her out of here…"Shawn said as he nodded toward where Ray was putting Nikki into the Ecto-1. Peter smiled as he helped Shawn through the gate.

"We're not gonna just leave you here, Shawn." Peter said. Shawn blinked wearily and felt a relieved smile twitch at his mouth before he sank against Peter's shoulder into darkness.


	35. Hospital

**Hi everyone! Once again, my two jobs have overtaken me, so I apologize for the lack of updates lately. Once I finish this story, I will try my best to come up with another one but as of right now it's kinda hard to look that far into the future. :) But anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and again, don't hesitate to send me a message or leave me a review of what you've thought about this story! Thanks! :)**

Ray sat by Nikki's bedside in her hospital room, finally able to relax from the doctors' reassurances that they would monitor her situation for the rest of the night. The doctors had at least four blankets on the freezing girl, who still continued to shiver in her unconscious state. The nurse that was currently in the room checked over Nikki quietly as Ray watched her in wary silence. After a few moments he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet? Is that a side effect of her hypothermia?" He asked. The nurse made a note on her clipboard and then turned to face Ray with a slight smile.

"Her physical injuries aren't life threatening, but in addition to her slight case of hypothermia, she does have a small concussion. It's not dangerous, but it could be preventing her from regaining consciousness as quickly as would be normal. My guess is that the mental trauma she's been through is going to take some time to heal as well. Maybe she just needs to rest…and as soon as she wakes up, we'll check her over for any other effects of the concussion and if nothing major pops up then we'll see about releasing her."

The nurse glanced at her watch and made a few more notes on her clipboard before offering Ray another reassuring smile.

"I'll be back in an hour or so to check up on her again. If you need anything just push the emergency call button."

Ray nodded as the woman turned and headed briskly out of the hospital room, her footsteps the only sound heard aside from the monitors around Nikki's bed. He leaned back in his chair wearily, running a hand through his tousled hair. He sighed heavily, glancing at his own watch and grimaced at the late hour. He looked back at Nikki where she seemed to be sleeping peacefully, the heart monitor beeping slowly next to her.

"You heard that, didn't you Nikki? You just need to wake up and let us all know that you're alright and we can go home." Ray said as he shifted closer to her in his chair by the bed. He gently took her bandaged hand from under the top layer of blankets on the hospital bed, brushing his fingers across the top of her knuckles. After a few more minutes spent sitting by her side silently, Ray took a breath and spoke again.

"You know…things have been different since you've been here. I knew they probably would be, I just…wasn't expecting to still have this connection with you." He shook his head and stared down at Nikki's pale face, her features calm as she rested. "I should have known you would still be into the supernatural…you are my daughter, after all."

Ray smiled ironically as he leaned forward and brushed a strand of dark brown hair out of Nikki's face. He squeezed her hand lightly and then tucked the blanket around her just to have something to do. As he settled back against the arms of the chair beside her bed, he heard a quiet knock on the door.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Dr. Stantz…"

Ray glanced up at Shawn who stood awkwardly in the doorway, seeming to turn away back out into the hallway outside. His right arm was in a sling and a small white bandage was covering the head wound just below his hairline. Ray smiled exhaustedly up at the boy and waved him into the room.

"No need to apologize, Shawn. You can come in." Ray said gently. Shawn smiled sadly and ducked into the room, glancing briefly at Nikki's sleeping form.

"Thank you…but I really _do_ feel like I should apologize." Shawn said quietly.

Ray stared at the boy patiently as he slowly walked across the small hospital room and paused on the opposite side of the bed. Ray crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, a searching look on his face as he regarded Shawn. The boy's face was hesitant as he looked down at Nikki, touching the blanket that lay on top of her gently.

"If I hadn't seen her that day…if I hadn't tried to kill her in the first place just to spite you all, none of this would have happened." Shawn said, his voice low. Ray's gaze turned hard as he tilted his head to the side in question.

"What do you mean?"

"When she nearly drowned in that pool…that was my fault. My father had resorted to keeping the group on the move, creating portals anywhere and everywhere in the area, varying day to day and minute by minute. You caught on to our location and to teach you a lesson to stay away from them, they forced me to take her."

"You were the one who did that to her?" Ray repeated softly. Shawn nodded, not meeting the Ghostbuster's strict gaze.

"I was too afraid to fight them…so I turned into their puppet. I thought that if I did as they said, I could get away from them once and for all. But when you dove down to save Nikki that day…I realized that I couldn't kill an innocent person for my father's anger." Shawn said. He shook his head at himself. "As it turned out, even letting her live was a mistake. Vincent only wanted her more. So he sent me for her again…but after meeting her and growing close to her…"

Shawn hesitated and stared worriedly at Nikki, his jaw tight. Ray nodded slowly in understanding.

"You found your heart again." Ray said. Shawn looked up at him, his eyes shining with tears.

"You have no idea how… _guilty_ …I feel about what happened." Shawn muttered huskily. Ray blinked quickly several times and seemed to fumble over his words as he tried to find something to say.

"Actually, I think I do." Ray admitted quietly. Shawn swallowed hard as he waited for Ray to continue. "…If I hadn't tried so hard to push her away, she probably never would have turned to you. But who's to say that something like this wouldn't have happened to her eventually anyway? I honestly had no idea what she could do…"

"She was afraid of herself. It was only after I encouraged her that she thought she could tell you." Shawn said softly. Ray looked up at the boy sharply and then sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"I almost lost her…" Ray said distantly. Shawn shifted his feet nervously on the tiled floor of the hospital room.

"I'm sorry." Shawn repeated after a moment.

"I know you are." Ray said, raising his gaze to Shawn. "You've proven that. You helped to get us all out of there."

"I put you all there in the first place." Shawn contradicted. Ray shook his head.

"You're young, Shawn. As you said…you were being used…the blame isn't all on you."

"Still…I understand if you'd want me out of your lives after this." Shawn said. He scoffed and shook his head at himself once more, gesturing down at his solid, human form. "I don't know how or why my father did this to me…but now it just seems cruel."

Ray studied the boy in front of him with a quizzical, yet critical glance.

"Where will you go?" Ray asked, still sitting with his arms crossed over his chest. Shawn shrugged his uninjured shoulder and glanced back down at Nikki.

"Anywhere you'd want me to go. I'll even move out of state if you prefer that." Shawn said lowly. Ray couldn't help the small smirk that spread across his lips.

"Thank you." The Ghostbuster said softly. Shawn looked at him hesitantly and Ray nodded sincerely. "Really. I don't know what…what I would've done. And I can honestly say that I don't admit that very often."

Shawn smiled wearily at Ray's change of tone and glanced up hurriedly as the steady beats on the monitors by Nikki's bed started to grow more rapid. Ray uncrossed his arms and leaned forward in his chair, noticing the change as well.

"…But I can't make you leave, Shawn. You don't have anyone…I saw the dates in the crypt. You've been dead for decades…I can't just leave you to fend for yourself out here. Not when you've helped us as much as you have." Ray continued. Shawn looked at Ray silently and the Ghostbuster smiled. "I mean it. You brought my daughter back."

Shawn smiled at Ray thankfully and moved around the side of the hospital bed and took the other chair by Ray as they waited for Nikki to regain consciousness.

* * *

Nikki could faintly hear low voices around her as she lay underneath what felt like at least ten blankets. She winced as she attempted to open her eyes, a splitting pain running through her head.

"Nikki? Honey, can you hear me?" Ray's voice said softly from her left. She felt her hand twitch by her side, soreness shooting up through her wrist. She felt the blankets over her shift slightly and then her hand was engulfed in Ray's. She turned her head in his direction on her pillow and opened her eyes to slits to see his hopeful face standing over her.

"Dad…" She breathed. She swallowed past the scratchy dryness in her throat as she shifted underneath the heavy layer of blankets. She grimaced as her joints complained with her slight movements.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Ray asked her as he gently squeezed her hand in his. Nikki took her other hand out from under the blankets and put it to her forehead weakly.

"…I feel like somebody just stuck a drill through my head…" She moaned. Her eyes drifted past Ray's worried expression to see that Shawn was standing by her father's side, a mixture of regret and sadness in his shining dark eyes. Nikki lowered her hand away from her face, brushing against the small adhesive bandage keeping the cut on her cheek closed.

"I'm sorry Nikki…" Shawn murmured sincerely as he stepped closer to her. Nikki held his gaze for a moment and then bit her lip.

"Was that real? Was I really…" She choked out. Shawn took her other hand and she stopped talking as her chin trembled.

"Everything's alright now, Nikki. You're alright." Shawn said reassuringly. Ray looked at the boy silently and then glanced back at Nikki who choked back another sob as a relieved smile spread across her face.

"Thank you…both of you. All of you…" Nikki said, scrunching her face up thoughtfully. She glanced around and then her gaze landed back on Ray and Shawn. "Where is everyone else? Are they okay?"

Ray smiled at her gently and brushed her hair back out of her face against the pillow.

"Egon, Winston and Peter are fine. They left after we checked you and Shawn in here to fill Janine in on what happened. They'll be back to pick us up in a few hours if the doctors release you like they promised." Ray explained softly. Nikki relaxed back against the pillow, a relieved sigh escaping her lips.

"How long have I been out?" She asked wearily.

"Ever since we closed the portal." Ray said, glancing at the watch on his other wrist. "We checked you in last night around ten thirty and it's almost nine in the morning now. You've been in and out of consciousness since about three."

Nikki straightened up and gasped with the rush of pain in her head. Shawn released his hold on her hand and Ray quickly moved to steady her back against the pillow.

"Shh…Nikki, what are you doing…?" Ray eased her down gently.

"I need to pack…" She muttered as she pressed her hand against her temple. Ray glanced at Shawn who met the Ghostbuster's gaze knowingly.

"Pack? For what?" Ray asked unthinkingly. Nikki raised her gaze to him in disbelief.

"My plane. It leaves at noon." She said matter-of-factly. Ray sighed in relief as he shared another look with Shawn.

"Nikki…after what's happened, do you really think I'm still going to make you leave?"

Nikki blinked at her father unsurely, not knowing if he was being serious. Thoughts of the past week flashed by her memory. The anger and fear Ray had shown when she had nearly drowned in the glowing green swimming pool, and the frustration he had expressed upon finding her at the skating rink when the portal had shown up again. Even after she had revealed her abilities to him, he had been wary of her.

"You did before." She said quietly.

Ray blinked at her worriedly and then recalled the memory of the last night he had seen her before she and Meredith had moved away. The memory that had started the seemingly unending cycle that had entrapped him was still fresh in his mind. As he stared into Nikki's hopeful, yet hesitant eyes, Ray couldn't help but feel ashamed at the way he had treated her since she had come to stay with him. He shook his head as he once more took Nikki's hand.

"Nikki…I've disappointed you. All your life…you've been trying to keep up with me and _my_ life…and I know I'm not at all the man you were expecting. But…against your mother's wishes…I'd like to invite you to stay here with me in New York if that's what you really want. You can help us at the firehouse or you can find something else. But it's your choice." Ray said. Nikki stared hard at her father for a moment and then glanced at Shawn who offered her a supportive smile. She flicked her gaze back to Ray and pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"…And Shawn can stay around?"

"Sweetheart, I don't think this boy's going to leave your side." Ray said lightly as he clapped a hand on Shawn's back, careful of his injured shoulder. Nikki smiled wearily and settled back lazily against the large pillow behind her.

"Then, yeah…I think I'll stick around for a while longer if that's alright." She murmured. Ray smiled at her and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Of course it's alright."


	36. Epilogue: Weeks Later

**Well guys...it's finally come to an end for this story. I apologize for the final time on my irregular uploading schedule and I promise I'll try to be more consistent with the next Fanfiction I do. I want to thank you all for keeping up with me over this extended period of time and for the reviews and comments that you all contributed. I hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did! :)**

The Ghostbusters shoved their way into the dress shop they had been called to, careful not to cause too much noise to disturb whatever was lurking inside. Ray was the first to peek around the large clothing rack by the front door, waving his three colleagues forward as the next few aisles appeared to be clear.

"Where's the salesgirl who called us? Didn't the call come from this building?" Winston asked quietly as the Ghostbuster slowly advanced toward the back of the store, eyeing each passing aisle warily in search of the residing spirit. Egon shook his head thoughtfully as he studied the PKE meter wavering in front of him.

"Maybe the ghost attacked her and she fled, knowing we were on our way." Ray suggested quietly.

"It's not unlikely." Egon said under his breath. He looked at Ray who kept glancing over his shoulder cautiously.

"What's the matter, Ray? Afraid Little Stantz isn't gonna listen?" Peter joked lightly as he walked through the aisles of various dresses and outfits, his proton pack humming readily on his back. Ray threw Peter an annoyed glance.

"You know it's not unheard of." He replied bluntly.

"Shh! I hear something…" Egon interrupted them, holding his hand up for the group to stop. The four Ghostbusters instantly ceased their advance, listening intently. After a heart-stopping moment, the men were startled when a loud crash sounded against the back wall.

"Help! Somebody, please-!" A feminine voice cried out from the back corner of the store. The Ghostbusters leapt into action, rushing toward the young woman's terrified screams.

"Don't worry, miss! We're coming!" Ray called, slowing his jog through the aisles of multi-colored fabrics as boxes and articles of clothing flew up from the back wall of the dress shop.

"Woah…" Winston commented as he rounded the last aisle of clothing slightly ahead of the other three Ghostbusters.

"You got that right…" Peter muttered as he came to a halt at Winston's side, staring up at the scene in front of them.

The young girl was trapped in the corner of the building, her back pressed into the wall, and her shoulder inching into the rack of clothing by her side. In front of her stood a large dress stand, complete with a big bright blue ball gown that nearly blocked the girl from view.

"Are…you alright, ma'am?" Peter asked, an amused smirk on his face. The girl, not much more than a few years older than Nikki, swung her terrified gaze to the group of Ghostbusters.

"No! Get it away from me!" She protested, nodding toward the headless dress stand.

"The…dress?" Egon asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow over his meter. The girl straightened herself against the wall hesitantly and eyed the figure in front of her.

"It…it was moving a second ago…it wouldn't let me –"

Before she could finish her sentence, the ball gown thrust itself forward towards the poor girl, causing her to slam herself back against the wall with a surprised shriek.

"Woah…okay, we see what you mean now!" Winston exclaimed, drawing his proton thrower in anticipation as the dress stand whirled around at the approaching Ghostbuster.

"Easy…!" Egon exclaimed as Winston charged his thrower up at the jerking the dress stand. "You can't fire while she's trapped back there!"

"I know that, Egon!" Winston muttered under his breath as the dress bucked toward him once more. Winston kicked at the huge hoop of a skirt and the stand skittered back a few inches pulsating clearly with anger.

"Um, excuse me but I think you need to pay for that dress before you ruin it…" Peter quipped, staring at the dress on the dress stand wryly.

The salesgirl behind the figure stifled a soft laugh at Peter's comment and then she was shoved back against the wall as the dress jerked backwards toward her.

"Hey- hey! That's not very nice. A pretty dress like that should be loved and cared for…not thrown around like you're doing…" Peter said, reaching his hand out to touch the topmost layer of silky blue tool on the dress. The stand didn't move for a few seconds and the salesgirl watched Peter in disbelief as he carefully played with the fabric, keeping his movements slow and calming.

"Yeah…I know a girl who would probably like to have a dress like you…" Ray said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. The salesgirl glanced up at him and caught his eye as he waved her forward. She slowly creeped away from the rack of clothing and along the wall as Peter continued to speak to the possessed dress as if it were being worn by a living woman he was trying to flatter.

"See? No need for all that…" Peter said.

The dress slowly rose a few inches from the floor and Peter stepped back hesitantly, still holding a piece of the dress in his hand.

"No, no, no…we're good, we're all good here Cinderella…" Peter tried to coax the dress. The salesgirl stopped her movements, eyes wide as she stared at the dress stand steadily rising up from the floor.

 _"_ _Move!"_ Ray shouted at the girl who blinked and then dove past the floating dress stand as it bucked against the wall angrily.

"Okay, the civilian's out of danger, can we please shoot it now?!" Winston asked eagerly. Peter had both hands clutching at the material of the gown tightly, preventing it from doing more than throwing itself into the wall repeatedly.

"No, you know the new drill!" Ray said. Peter clenched his jaw in frustration as he struggled to hang on to the skirt of the dress.

"Hurry!" Peter complained.

Ray smirked and turned over his shoulder, stepping past the clothing rack to shout down the aisle to the front of the dress shop.

 _"_ _Okay, we're ready for you now!"_

* * *

Nikki stood outside the dress shop, leaning against the large storefront window with boredom etched on her face. She was staring down at the small walkie-talkie in her hand that Ray had thrust into her grasp as the Ghostbusters had walked into the building not ten minutes ago. Absentmindedly she bit her lip in anticipation and Shawn frowned down at her worriedly.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Shawn asked gently. He touched her arm reassuringly and she smiled up at him, tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I just…need to get back into a routine. And if Dad's willing to let me tag along, then I'm happy doing that for now." She said quietly. She tugged at the collar of the Ghostbusters uniform she wore, one that was a little smaller than the one her father had loaned her before. Shawn also wore one, which made Nikki smile in amusement at the change it made in his appearance. The light beige color of the uniform was a sharp contrast to the dark clothing he usually wore.

"Then I guess it makes me happy that you're happy." Shawn said lightly. She glanced up at him, raising one eyebrow and then her face broke into a sheepish smile.

"Now _that's_ a little cliché…" She said jokingly in reference to his flirting attempts during their first meeting in the coffee shop weeks ago. Shawn nudged her with a smirk and glanced down at the radio in Nikki's hand, then looked back questioning at the shop's front door.

"Think something's gone wrong? They've been in there for a little while." Shawn commented anxiously. Nikki feigned rolling her eyes and leaned back against the storefront window after glancing disinterestedly through the door.

"He said he'd radio if he needed us. Better not go against his wishes and ruin my privileges this early in the game. He's just starting to trust me again, I think. After the…well." She quipped. Shawn pursed his lips as he glanced down at her wrists, the still darkened bruises on her skin from that fateful night peeking out from underneath the sleeves of her Ghostbusters uniform.

"Yeah." Shawn said thoughtfully. Nikki seemed to realize where his gaze had rested and she fiddled with her sleeves nervously, turning back to look through the window behind her. She was relieved to hear a loud shout from inside the building and as she peered through the glass, she could see her father waving her in. She glanced back at Shawn and offered him a quick smile.

"Come on," She said as she swung herself around and pulled open the dress shop's front door.

Nikki entered the building with her heart hammering excitedly and she quickly caught sight of her father standing at the end of the aisle across from her. She rolled her eyes and briskly walked toward him, Shawn following close behind.

"I thought you gave me this walkie-talkie for a reason." She said, her voice unusually loud in the silent store. Ray's eyes went frantic as he glanced to his side at something she couldn't see yet. Then he turned back to her and shrugged apologetically as she finally reached his side.

"I wasn't sure if you had actually listened and stayed outside. I figured yelling would get your attention whether you were inside or out." Ray said. Nikki shook her head in amusement and then froze in confusion as her gaze fell on the spook the Ghostbusters were currently attempting to apprehend.

Peter stood holding onto the end of a huge blue dress that appeared to be struggling against his hold. A young woman stood over by Egon's side, watching the dress stand with fear in her eyes. Winston stood close behind Peter, training his thrower on the flailing dress.

"Little Stantz…I'd appreciate it if you'd hurry up and do your thing!" Peter said, spinning the dress stand around to where he could face her. Nikki stepped back in surprise as the mannequin-like figure jerked toward her in an attempt to escape Peter's hold, and Nikki put both of her hands up to steady the possessing ghost.

"Okay…um…hi…" Nikki said hesitantly. The dress struggled against Peter's hold as it tried to throw itself at Nikki angrily.

"What do you see, Nikki? Anything different?" Egon called out calmly, as usual overlooking the scene with his PKE meter. Nikki shook her head, as she tried to keep herself calm in front of the possessed dress stand.

"No…it's trying to hide from me, I think." She murmured, her eyebrows pressed together thoughtfully. The dress seemed to hesitate for a moment and Nikki slowly stepped toward it.

"What is she doing?" The salesgirl asked in confusion, looking at the other Ghostbusters and Shawn for an answer.

"Just watch…" Winston said with a slight smirk, keeping his thrower ready in case the dress stand broke free.

"Yeah, she's something else." Shawn said quietly, crossing his arms across his chest as he watched Nikki's approach. The salesgirl glanced up at Shawn where he stood slightly behind Nikki at Ray's side, a small smile playing on his face.

Nikki ignored the voices behind her and she carefully met Peter's gaze from around the dress. His hands were still buried in the fabric and as Nikki slowly nodded, he released his hold. The dress stand floated slowly down to the ground in front of Nikki and before her eyes the shadowy silhouette of a girl's arms and upper body filled in the space above the collar of the dress. Her hair was an almost blonde color and her skin was unblemished ivory. Her eyes were bright blue, reflected nicely by the deep blue dress that covered the rest of her body. Nikki smiled at the girl's skeptical gaze.

"We're not going to hurt you. At least…not unless you mess this up." Nikki said lightly.

The ghost's eyes narrowed slightly and she looked up at each of the other surrounding people before glancing back at Nikki wordlessly.

"What are you doing here?" Nikki asked, resorting to the usual checklist of questions she had when the ghost wouldn't speak to her willingly.

The girl tore her gaze away from Nikki, clenching her jaw as she touched the fabric of the dress's skirt by her side. Nikki nodded thoughtfully and glanced at the salesgirl whose eyes were wide with confusion.

"You…like the dress?" Nikki guessed. The ghost raised her bright blue eyes to Nikki coldly and pursed her lips ironically.

"That was my guess." Peter shrugged, still standing behind the dress stand casually. The ghost turned slightly over her shoulder to throw an agitated glance at the Ghostbuster, invisible to everyone else except Nikki.

"I mean, it _is_ a nice dress. I don't blame you for wanting to try it on…" Nikki said, drawing the ghost's attention back to her.

"It took my aunt over a year to get it finally made…from drawing the design to actually putting it together, I mean…" The salesgirl's voice piped up quietly. The ghost instantly leapt forward but Nikki stopped her, shielding the dress stand from flying across the room at the poor girl.

"You have something against her?" Nikki asked the ghost, nodding back at the salesgirl who was now hiding behind Egon. The ghost's eyes didn't leave the girl's face as she finally spoke.

"This was my mother's shop. And this girl here thinks she can just take my place now that I'm gone!" The ghost's voice echoed throughout the shop, heard only by Nikki's ears.

"Your…your time is over here. It's probably been years since your mother owned this place." Nikki said to the ghost gently. The salesgirl looked at Nikki worriedly and then nodded, flicking her gaze back to the dress stand as the ghost took a step back away from Nikki.

The ghost's face was hard as she stared at Nikki in disbelief. Nikki offered her a sad smile and raised her hand toward the ghost.

"Let me help you." Nikki said softly. The ghost girl studied Nikki's outstretched hand for a moment before meeting her eyes. She slowly reached out her pale hand and grabbed Nikki's wrist, levitating them both into the air.

"Is…that supposed to happen?" The salesgirl asked hurriedly.

"Nope." Ray said, wincing as he made himself wait unsurely as Nikki tried to handle the situation. Just for good measure, he drew his thrower and charged it up, along with Winston who shot his colleague an impatient glance.

"Nikki, you good?" Winston called, shifting his feet nervously. Nikki scrunched her face up in pain as she shook her head quickly, grabbing onto her wrist with her free hand as her arm was strained by the ghost's supernaturally strong hold.

 _"_ _That's – still sore - !"_ Nikki cried out in pain as she kicked against the ghost's legs, hitting the metal frame of the dress stand. The ghost released her hold on Nikki's still bruised wrist with an amused glare and Nikki tumbled to the floor of the dress shop. Shawn rushed to her side and Nikki gasped for air as the breath was knocked out of her from the fall. Her eyes widened and she shoved Shawn away from her as the ghost lunged down toward her.

"Hold on, kids!" Peter called as he dove toward the dress, grabbing onto the skirt as he tackled it to the ground. Nikki could see the ghost girl's furious expression as she struggled against the Ghostbuster's hold once more.

"So that's your final choice, then?" Nikki asked, meeting the ghost's blue gaze. The ghost shoved herself free from Peter's hold and floated upright once more above the group of people. Nikki stared up at the ghost from where she still sat back against her elbows on the floor and then she slowly looked to her side and nodded up at Ray.

"Alright, boys." Ray said lowly as Shawn quickly helped Nikki up from the ground and pulled her out of the way. The Ghostbusters' proton streams lit up the back corner of the dress shop and the ghost's angered cries echoed throughout the shop as Nikki turned and headed back toward the front of the store accompanied by Shawn who had his arm wrapped around her shoulders reassuringly.

"You can't save them all, Nikki." Shawn said softly once they had stepped outside into the cold afternoon air.

"I know." She replied, holding his hand to steady herself. She blinked slowly and then nodded to herself, pausing to raise her gaze back to his. "But…at least I saved you."

Shawn smiled down at her as he pulled her into a reassuring hug, stooping to her height as she wrapped her arms around his torso. A crash sounded from inside the building and a bright flash of purple caused Nikki to pull away from him slightly to look around at the Ghostbusters' commotion inside. Shawn quickly turned her face away from the trap's brightness reflecting through the shop windows and pulled her into a kiss. She frowned in surprise and then relaxed against him, clutching at the collar of his Ghostbusters uniform as their kiss deepened. When they finally pulled apart, Nikki's cheeks were bright pink as she looked up at Shawn excitedly.

"…Thank you." Shawn murmured with a small smirk. Nikki blinked up at him with her smiling brown eyes.

"Thank _you._ " She replied softly. Her smile widened and she stood on her tiptoes for another kiss before hesitating as her gaze rested on something over his shoulder. Shawn caught the change in her, instantly alert.

"What is it?"

Nikki's eyes saddened as she stared past him for a moment before she looked back at him levelly. She smiled ironically and shrugged out of his grasp.

"I think there _is_ someone else here that I can help today." She said gently, taking his hand once more as she led him a little ways down the street, weaving through the slight crowd of New Yorkers. Shawn silently followed Nikki, scanning the crowd for the ghost that he knew Nikki had spotted, but as they came to a halt against another storefront, the ghost woman was unseen by his eyes.

"You…you came back."

Nikki smiled at the bruised and disheveled looking woman and nodded at her double meaning. The girl raised her hand out toward the ghost woman, her gaze unwavering as the woman eagerly reached out to touch it.

"I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten you." Nikki said gently. The woman's eyes filled with tears and she fluidly lunged toward the girl and swept her into a motherly hug. Nikki stiffened slightly at the rush of energy rushing through her but her own eyes blurred with emotion as the woman slowly faded from sight.

"…Nikki?"

Shawn's voice sounded unnaturally loud to her after what felt like several minutes and Nikki found that she was clutching her arms to herself as if she were freezing. She blinked hurriedly to clear the tears that ran down her cheeks and she smiled as Shawn wrapped his arm protectively around her.

"I'm alright." She murmured, leaning into his chest as he turned and led them back toward the dress shop down the block where the Ghostbusters were emerging having victoriously captured the hostile ghost girl.

"I know you are."

He kissed the top of her head and Ray smiled warmly at their approach, a knowing look in his eye as Nikki stumbled slightly against Shawn's strong hold. She threw her father a weak but spiteful smirk and he playfully ruffled her hair as she walked past him and toward the waiting vehicle by the curb. Together, all of the Ghostbusters piled into the Ecto-1 and headed back to the firehouse to face the next set of ghosts and spirits that would come across their path.

 _ **The End?**_


End file.
